Achromatic
by Swallowed By The Seas
Summary: Aғᴛᴇʀ ᴀɴ ᴀᴄᴄɪᴅᴇɴᴛ ᴏɴ Mᴀᴋᴏ Isʟᴀɴᴅ, Lᴇᴡɪs ᴀɴᴅ Wɪʟʟ ᴛʜʀᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇᴍsᴇʟᴠᴇs ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ᴏғ Tʀᴏᴘɪᴄᴀʟ Sᴛᴏʀᴍ Aɴɴᴀ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇsᴄᴜᴇ Cʟᴇᴏ's ғᴀᴛʜᴇʀ. Mᴇᴀɴᴡʜɪʟᴇ, ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴏғ ᴇᴠɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ʟᴏᴏᴍɪɴɢ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ʜᴇʀ ʜᴇᴀᴅ, Rɪᴋᴋɪ ʜᴀs ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴛᴏᴜɢʜ ᴅᴇᴄɪsɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ Eᴍᴍᴀ ʀᴇᴛᴜʀɴs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴇxᴄɪᴛɪɴɢ ɴᴇᴡs—ʙᴜᴛ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ Sᴏᴘʜɪᴇ ᴀɴᴅ Kɪᴍ ᴅɪsᴄᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪs ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ Gᴏʟᴅ Cᴏᴀsᴛ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴍᴇᴇᴛs ᴛʜᴇ ᴇʏᴇ. ʀ&ʀ.
1. P r o l o g u e

achromatic (ˌækrəˈmætɪk)  
-adj  
1. without colour.  
"_The day held an achromatic gloom._"

{.}

0.

Tonight was the night and a thousand different outcomes were racing through Rikki's head.

She imagined the disappointed phone call she was most likely going to get in the morning when Will awoke, fully human and disappointed beyond belief. She imagined Will getting his wish and, by some miracle, growing a tail of his very own. She imagined Will submerged and the Moon Pool illuminated by moonlight, but otherwise still - no trace of magic left. There were a thousand and one different ways the night could've ended.

But this? _This_ wasn't supposed to be one of them.

Lewis was never supposed to be part of the equation. He was supposed to be back at the apartment, working on that stupid research paper he was so obsessed with.

Not here. Not with her and Will.

Her first thought when he came tumbling in was that something must've happened with Bella and Cleo, because why else would he be here? But there was something about the look on Lewis's face that told Rikki this had nothing to do with the others. It was a gut feeling, more than anything, that told her this was a personal matter.

"So, care to explain why you're out here tonight? During the full moon, might I add!" Lewis began. His condescending tone gave Rikki the urge to slap him across the face. She didn't need anyone protecting her, goddammit. "Are you two _looking_ for trouble?"

Rikki folded her arms across her chest. "We're handling ourselves just fine, Lewis."

"What are you doing?"

"I want to be like them." Will said with a hint of desperation.

Lewis blinked, as though the information didn't quite register. "Like them?"

"A mermaid." Rikki added. "Well, merman, I guess."

Lewis knitted his eyebrows together and looked at Will. "You can't be serious."

"Completely." He replied. "I've loved the ocean since I was little, okay? It's the reason I got into free-diving. But this way I won't need to dive anymore. Or train. Or focus on holding my breath. I can just swim! I can enjoy the ocean."

"Yeah, and you know what else? You're going to have to live in fear for the rest of your life. Fear of your secret being found out. Fear of getting wet - fear of _the rain_, Will. You can never enter another diving competition, either. You can never swim with your sister again. You're going to have to lie to your family and to your friends for the rest of your life. I get that the whole merperson thing is appealing, I do, but, seriously? You really can't be considering this."

"I_ do not_ live in fear." Rikki said defensively. "I am my own person and I can take care of myself. It isn't that hard to avoid water," Lie. She knew it was a lie. Water was everywhere, the threat of exposure looming constantly over her like an ominous presence, but she couldn't let Lewis know that. "Me and Bella and Cleo have done just fine so far. Without your help, might I add."

A humorless laugh. "Oh _really_? I can't count the times I've had to come rescue you and the girls because you nearly got yourself caught! Dr. Denman? Does _that name _ring a bell? Jesus, and now you're trying to pull Will into this mess too?! That isn't fair, Rikki. Not to Will. Don't let him do this."

"Hello, still here!" Will interjected. "I know everything I'm risking, Lewis. But I've been thinking about this for weeks, okay? I've made my decision. I want to be like them."

"You heard him," Rikki said. "So you can leave now."

Lewis shook his head. "No, I'm not leaving." He looked back over at Will. "Will, listen to me. For almost four years now I've had to watch their backs. We've had more close calls than I can remember. Don't do this to yourself."

A sliver of moonlight suddenly beamed down from above, causing the pool to start bubbling.

"It's almost time." Rikki said.

Will nodded, just as anxious as he was excited. "What do I do?"

"Just jump in. Go, now!"

What happened next seemed to go in slow motion.

Will took a step back in preparation to dive, but before he could leap into the water Lewis grabbed his arm and yanked him backward. Will twisted in his grip and tried to push him off, but Lewis was stronger - stouter - than he looked. The two grappled for a moment before Will's sandal slid against the slick rock and out from underneath him -

Sending the both of them sailing into the bubbling Moon Pool.

* * *

**a/n:** prologue written by _when the tide comes in_. x


	2. C h a p t e r : 1

01.

The sky seemed to be the darkest shade of gray, preparing for one of the biggest storms that was going to hit the Gold Coast. It was like the colors of the day had suddenly disappeared, leaving everything completely achromatic. The black clouds on the sky, the pitch black sea, everything looked dark and gray, and seemed to have lost its bright colors and usual shine. All was in the different shades of white, black and grey. There was no blue or yellow. Not even green or red. They were all gone.

One slim figure jumped in the water, disappearing underneath without being noticed. She sped through the waves and in a matter of seconds she swam up into her private place. Even being the wreckage it now was, it still meant everything for her.

After her ex-boyfriend, her best friend's greedy sister and a maniac obsessed with rocks had blown it up, because of their stupid gold rush (or in this case crystal rush) she was going there almost every evening to clean it up. That particular evening however her reasons of going there had nothing to do with the place itself.

It was a moment she never thought would happen. She knew it would come but she never thought it would happen so soon. Nobody ever expects changes to happen. Nobody ever expects bad times to come. She had avoided being negative for a long time but she knew the moment has come. Her head was telling her that she needs to be tough and put her foot down. Her heart was screaming at her head to shut up.

Just the thought of going with her father and leaving everything behind was making her blood boil, not with anger, but with frustration. She was always her own person and she never thought she'd meet anyone who'll care for her the way those few people whom she called "best friends" did. It wasn't she was depending on them or anything. It wasn't she was going to be heartbroken if she decided to leave them behind. Just the opposite. She was used to being alone. She loved being alone. She couldn't care less about what she would feel. All she cared for was them. She cared what they would feel. And their reaction when they hear what she had to say to them.

Her mind took her back when her dad told her the news. She stood there frozen. Waiting for her mind to slowly take form. Everything seemed to be happening at an extremely slow rate. She felt herself trying to balance it out. It doesn't seem even. It doesn't seem right. She finally got it after what seemed like forever but she was still frozen like a statue.

It felt to her like she's going through the motions but her heart really wasn't in it. Her pulse quickened. Her hands shook because of her powers suddenly starting to bubble in them. She couldn't complete it. She couldn't even start it. Her father waited for her answer to the question he had just asked her.

She heard herself responding to him, but she wasn't really thinking straight, still trying to make out what was happening. Was she clear in her decision? She couldn't have been clear. She didn't even understand it herself. She probably was unclear and to get mad at him after she was unclear would just be unfair. She had to be tough. She had to be strong. She'll just do it and get it done with. She'll stick to her guns even if it does come back to shoot her in the foot. She took a deep breath and listened to her heart. She knew it's the right thing to do.

Then she just ran out of home and swam in here. She needed the peace and the silence of this place. She needed the air. She needed...the freedom.

"Well, hello." She heard a voice coming behind her and spun around. It was her brunette friend, smiling softly at her.

"Hi." She answered shortly not being exactly in the mood for being polite to anyone. Even Cleo.

"Is everything alright?" Her friend sounded worried about her and that's what was driving her so mad. She didn't want Cleo to care about her so much. She didn't want and most of all she didn't need anyone to care about her.

"It's fine." She turned her back to Cleo avoiding her look.

"I wish you could just talk to me." Cleo's words stabbed her like a knife.

She spun around to look at the face of her best friend. For a few seconds no one said anything. "I will meet you and the others tomorrow at eight at the cafe. Pass it to them for me. Tomorrow you won't be complaining that I don't talk with you, anymore."

And she dived in the water, before Cleo could even open her mouth to say something. She only stared sadly at the small waves left by her best friend. Cleo had a bad feeling about tomorrow. She just hoped she was wrong.

The morning came a little too fast. The sky was still covered with the black clouds from the previous day. Everything was still in the various shades of grey. At the local cafe called "Rikki's" the colors of the day didn't seem much different.

"So, you might have to leave us." Cleo's voice sounded full of hurt.

"No. He told me I have a choice. I can go with him or stay here."

"What did you say?" Bella asked.

"That it's a serious decision to make and I need some time."

"You can't be seriously thinking to go, can you?" The brunette tried to keep her voice calm but her eyes blurred full of mist and wetness.

"Cleo, if I stay here I won't have a place to live."

"But-"

"But I'll think about it, ok?"

Cleo looked defeated. "Ok." Before she looked away, trying to hold back the tears she looked right into Rikki's eyes; brown in blue. "But I just want you to know that whatever you decide you're like my sister, hell you are my sister, and I...I'm going to miss you so much."

When she said that silence came on the table. Everybody was suddenly speechless, not knowing what to say. The only thing they knew however was they didn't want Rikki to go.

"If you decide to stay here, you can come to live with me at the boatshed. It's not very big, but it's better than if you decide to stay in a hotel."

"Will, you barely have a room for yourself there. There's no way we can fit in both of us. Thank you for the offer, but I'll have to say no."

"Why don't you crash at my place? The apartment is big and has enough room. You can stay until you save some money and find something suitable for yourself. Just…think about it."

Rikki looked at him trying not to laugh. "What? To live with you?! No way, Lewis!"

"I don't see where's the problem."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Actually I don't think that's such a bad idea." Bella said giving a smile to both Lewis and Rikki.

It was Lewis' words that made Cleo spun around and look at him for a moment. She grabbed his wrist and after they stood up from the table she dragged him a little further so the others couldn't hear.

"What do you think you're doing Lewis?" She asked him.

"What do you mean?"

"Asking Rikki to live with you!"

"Cleo, I don't understand what you're on about, but Rikki's our best friend and we can't leave her on the streets."

"I get that but to ask her to live with you?!"

"It was the best I could think of. My place is big and there's enough room."

"Yes, but still -"

"Cleo, what is the real problem?" Lewis sounded a little annoyed. He knew his girlfriend too well and could clearly see something was bothering her.

She looked at him, her eyes glowing with a strange light he hadn't seen before. "The problem is that beside our best friend, she's...she's also a woman, alright?!"

It was then when Lewis finally understood. He tried his best to keep himself bursting in laughter.

"Cleo, did you really think that I can look at another woman, when I'm with you and that I can ever look on Rikki this way?"

Cleo leaned her head down a bit and red color rushed to her cheeks.

"Listen, I don't know what's gotten into you, but Rikki's one of our best friends and you're my girlfriend. I have never looked and can never look at another woman! Especially Rikki!" The last one was a lie. Lewis did look on Rikki as a woman, more than once actually.

It was impossible not to look at Rikki Chadwick that way. She may have more of a guy's character and a style than of a lady's one, but she was sexy and passionate and fiery and was all in all a hell of a woman. That was actually one of the reasons why when they were still together Zane was so jealous of everyone who even dared to look at her, not to mention to talk to her. He knew for fact that almost all of the guys in the Gold Coast had a secret fantasy about her and that's why he was so overprotective. He however was completely unaware of the fact that Lewis himself was one of those guys.

Cleo seemed to be convinced by her boyfriend's words. "You're right. I'm sorry, Lewis. I just-"

"Hey, it's ok." He leaned to give her a kiss. "Just put more of your trust in me."

And they walked back to the table.

"So, about my offer?" Lewis asked Rikki before anyone else could ask what Cleo and he had talked about.

"You mean you're serious about this?" The curly blond lifted her eyebrows.

"Totaly."

"Lewis, we can barely last one minute without making fun of each other and without offending the other. If I stay here and if I agree to live with you, even for only a few days, I bet whatever you want that on the second day we'll set the apartment on fire. Ot at least I will. That's only if you don't throw me out before that, of course." She looked straight at his eyes rolling hers. "What I mean is we're just...too different and there's no way we can live together without starting a war."

Lewis only shook his head with a smirk on his face. "Have it your way then. But just know that if you change your mind, my offer is always on."

"I won't change my mind, Lewis."

"I'm just saying that-"

"Whatever." Rikki sighed annoyed. "I have to go now. I'll see you guys later." She stood off the table and walked away.

The group stood silent for a few minutes.

"Do you think she might...you know...actually leave?" Bella asked quietly, scared to even think about the possibility.

"I think she has more than a billion reasons to stay, but that's Rikki we're talking about here." Lewis reminded her. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

"You know what, I have to go too. I'll meet you guys here later." With that Cleo stood and quickly walked away.

"Is she alright?" Bella asked Lewis concerned.

"To be honest, I have no idea." He answered her. "All I know is that Rikki's news really shook her up. And no wonder; first our friend Emma left to travel around the world, then I went off to America to study, and now this. I can't imagine how she must be feeling."

"Poor Cleo." Bella said. "I have no idea what I'd do if I had to go through something like this."

"I'll go and talk to her, but I want to give her a few moments alone." Lewis said, sighing slightly to himself. It took everything not to hurry after the her, but he knew she wanted a few moments in private.

"I'll have to go to work." Bella said noticing Nate was making her signs to go on stage.

"And I'll go out for a quick dive." Will said while giving Bella an absent-minded kiss on the lips.

With that, Bella marched to the stage, Will walked out of the cafe and Lewis was left alone on the table.

His mind ran through the latest events of that morning. He had actually asked the most rebellious person probably in the whole Australia - Rikki Chadwick - to live in his apartment. If there's one thing he was absolutely sure of it's that nothing good will come out of sharing his place with someone as fiery as her. In fact only bad stuff were bound to happen. That was of course only if she decided to take on his offer.

* * *

**a/n:** chapter one written by _mermaidbyheart._ x


	3. C h a p t e r : 2

02.

There were few things Will loved more than swimming with Bella and the girls.

It's been almost a year since he first discovered the existence of mermaids and, somehow, he still found himself absolutely blown away by them. He was still completely fascinated. And Bella, Bella was twice as beautiful with her long, golden tail and a backdrop of open ocean. Not to say she didn't take his breath away when she had legs, too. Half the time Will was afraid she was going to cause his heart to beat right out of his chest.

It was such a strange and surreal experience to glide with Cleo and Rikki and Bella beneath the surface, watching them twist and flip and turn among the reefs and brightly colored fish (which contrasted greatly to the past few gloomy days, the weather channel said a tropical storm was moving in) and little hidden caves.

Will often wished he could be like them.

It was in that moment, while he was holding Bella's hand as the four of them entered the moon pool, that Will first became rapidly aware of his legs moving as two separate limbs. When his head broke the surface and he gasped in a lungful of much needed oxygen (while the girls had already began to chatter amongst themselves), Will felt his first strong desire to be like them. He looked down and took in the sight of his legs moving next to Bella and Cleo's tails, their very real and very functional tails, and for the first time Will felt as though his fantasy wasn't such a fantasy, but an impending reality.

Rikki splashed Will out of his own thoughts and he couldn't help but smile. He made a mental note to ask one of the girls about getting a tail of his own later. He didn't know how he'd bring it up or what he'd say, but Will was sure of one thing;

He wasn't going to give up the idea up without a fight.

{.}

"_Why don't you crash at my place?_"

Lewis's offer kept Rikki up half the night. She just didn't know what to tell him. On the upside she'd be able to stay in the Gold Coast, and it isn't like her and Lewis would have a lot of time to bicker with one another. If Lewis wasn't at Griffith, either in class or working on a paid research project (which was the reason he could afford his apartment) he was up to his neck in essays, articles, papers, and his half completed manuscript. Needless to say, he kept himself busy. On the downside, though, Rikki would still be living with her best friend's boyfriend. Her and Lewis would be sleeping in the same vicinity. They'd be sharing a bathroom. And a living room. And a kitchen.

It felt awkward to think about living with Lewis, and a little scary to think about living without her dad. Terry wasn't always the best father, but Rikki knew her dad loved her. He'd never done an ill thing toward her, and regardless of the situation Terry did his very best to provide for her.

She didn't want to leave him, nor did she want him leaving the Gold Coast, but Rikki didn't want to leave her friends either. Her fellow _mermaids_. Being a mermaid was something Terry could never understand, and that was why Rikki decided she'd take Lewis up on his offer, God help her. She was eighteen now. An adult. Her own person. Rikki didn't plan on living with her dad forever, although she didn't plan on moving out so soon after she turned eighteen.

But life never pans out the way you think it will, and Rikki knew, deep down, she never really had a choice in this matter.

She grabbed her phone from where it was charging on her nightstand and texted Lewis.

_Yes. I'll stay with you_.

{.}

Lewis wasn't surprised when he stepped out of the shower and saw Bolt sitting on his bathroom sink. The orange tabby cat stared back at him with unblinking eyes, tail twitching.

"You're the strangest cat, you know that?"

Bolt meowed and hopped down off the sink. Lewis chuckled, Bolt got around well for a cat with three legs. Even if he was perpetually grumpy.

He wrapped a towel around his waist and headed into his bedroom, dreading going to his eight o'clock class. Waking up early was the worst, especially when you were only running on two, maybe three, hours of sleep. With a sigh he carded a hand through his wet hair before grabbing his phone and checking for any messages. Or, more importantly, any emails from his professors deciding to cancel class because of the impending tropical storm.

There was only one. From Rikki.

_Yes. It read. I'll stay with you_.

For a moment, Lewis didn't do anything other than stare down at his phone. Had Rikki really agreed to live with him? He was almost positive she was going to reject his offer. Not that it wasn't a genuine one, he did have a spare room she could use, but Lewis thought Rikki would've found another option. Alternate between staying with Cleo and Bella, perhaps.

_Jesus_, they were going to kill each other.

Their friendship had always been tentative at best. Lewis knew him and Rikki both were too stubborn for their own good, and that alone had them butting heads more often than not. Not to mention the the two of them had completely different personalities. Rikki was someone who didn't trust easily, and she had a tendency to brood and let her anger get the best of her. Lewis knew she had a good heart, but in a lot of ways Rikki was troubled.

Not that Lewis didn't have lurking demons of his own (because who didn't?), he was just better at burying them them out than Rikki was.

If you wanted to be happy, Lewis found, you had to let things go.

Unsure of what to say in reply to Rikki's message, Lewis pulled on a pair of a jeans before heading into the kitchen to feed Bolt and grab a bottle of water for the road. His mind was already swimming with different replies. What do you say to something like that?_ Okay_ almost seemed too simple, but it was the only thing he could come up with.

_Okay_, Lewis finally texted back. _Meet me at the cafe around noon and we'll figure everything out. I've got class in twenty minutes_.

There was no way he was going to be able to focus today.

{.}

"I decided to move in with Lewis."

"I still think it's a good idea," Bella responded, taking a sip of her juice. "And it's not like you're going to live with him forever, it's just until you can get a place of your own, but..."

Rikki knitted her eyebrows together, confused. "But?"

"I don't get why you're so reluctant to move in with him. I mean he is one of our best friends, and I know you wouldn't think twice about moving in with me or Cleo. We just don't have the room. So, what gives? Is there something I should know about Lewis?" Bella chuckled. "Is he secretly a serial killer or something?"

"_No_, Lewis isn't a serial killer. We're just..." She thought for a moment, searching for the right words. "We're two very different people."

"Yeah, and so are you and Cleo." Bella pressed. "But you get along just fine."

Rikki sighed. "I don't know, Bella. I've just got an awkward feeling. Hell, it'll probably be like living alone anyway. Lewis is married to his stupid degree."

"Isn't that a good thing if you're too different to get along?"

"I guess, it's just weird to think about living with Lewis."

"Whose living with Lewis?"

Rikki and Bella both inwardly groaned. Leave it to Sophie to butt in where she doesn't belong.

"I am," Rikki breathed, holding back her flared temper. "My dad is moving away and I decided I wanted to stay on the coast. I'm moving in with Lewis until I can get a place of my own."

"That's interesting." Sophie mused, and oh, it took everything Rikki had to not climb over the counter and claw her eyes right out of her face. There was too much implication in Sophie's voice, too much mischief glimmering in her eyes. Rikki could just see the wheels turning in Sophie's mind. She was going to blow this whole situation out of proportion and, most likely, try to cause trouble with Zane (and really, that should be her specialty at this point). God, Rikki dreaded the moment Zane found out she was moving in with Lewis. Even though they'd been broken up for almost four months now, Zane was still acting like a protective boyfriend and begging her for a second chance. Rikki couldn't predict how Zane was going to react, but she knew one thing; it was going to be bad.

"Just ignore her." Bella said, casting an annoyed glance back at Sophie.

"Do you know where Cleo's at?" Rikki asked, deciding to change the subject.

"Yeah, she had to work. Laurie gave her a last minute shift today. I think she gets off at one though, how come?"

"We should go for a swim." Rikki suggested. "It's only, what, ten? I don't need to meet Lewis back here until noon."

"Race you to Mako?"

Rikki grinned. "You're on."

{.}

The ocean was dark and rough, churning relentlessly and crashing violently against the shore. Black clouds were settled on the horizon, the gusty wind blowing them closer and closer by the minute. Lewis stood with his hand on the handle of his car door, hair standing on end as he watched the sea rage against itself. There was a storm coming in, alright. The air was crackling with electricity and it wouldn't be more than two, three days tops, before the storm was right on top of them. Tropical Storm Anna, the weather channel had named it.

Lewis couldn't but smile to himself as he got sild into his driver's seat. Tropical storms, even just thunderstorms in general, always made him think of Rikki. Women like her were the reason tropical storms were named after people.

Since it was too dangerous to go diving class had let out early and Lewis had a good hour before he had to meet Rikki at the cafe. She was probably out getting a last swim in with Bella before the weather hit. The sky above was still bright and blue, but Anna was rolling in fast.

Lewis turned the radio up as he pulled out of the parking lot. On a whim, he switched his turn signal left and headed away from the Gold Coast, instead choosing to head toward the darkening sky. He had some time to kill, might as well see what the clouds looked like a little further down the shoreline. It was funnelclouds he was concerned about finding, or sudden rotation.

"_Bring your love baby, I can bring my shame,_" He sung along to the radio, eyes still fixed on the sky. "_Bring the drugs baby, I can bring my pain. I got my heart right here, I—_"

Lewis slammed his breaks on as a kangaroo hopped out in front of him. For half a second he ceased to breathe and his grip on the steering wheel turned white-knuckle. He inwardly cursed himself for not paying more attention to the road. The kangaroo look at him curiously for a minute before hopping the rest of the way across the road.

Fucking kangaroos.

Lewis gave himself a moment to regain his composure before making a U-turn and heading back toward the Gold Coast to meet Rikki. If he believed in fate or signs or anything of that nature, then a kangaroo hopping across the goddamn _highway_ was a good enough reason to kill his curiosity.

"_So tell me you love me_," He continued to sing, voice shaken. "_Only for tonight..._"

{.}

Rikki was starting to regret wanting to meet Lewis at the cafe.

Now that Sophie knew she moving in with him, she wouldn't stop watching Rikki like a hawk. And Rikki could feel her gaze, and when Lewis got here? She was going to jump to twenty different conclusions and then tattle to Zane. Rikki really, really wanted to hurt her.

"Sorry I'm a little late," Lewis said, pulling Rikki from her Sophie-induced brooding. "Class ran a little over today," Lie. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Rikki replied. "Sophie is just being Sophie."

"Don't pay any attention to her." He said before taking a deep, anxious breath. "So, you're seriously taking me up on my offer?"

"Yup," She began, quirking her mouth up into a little smile. At least Lewis felt strange about this too. "We'll probably start World War 3, but whatever."

Lewis laughed at that, and behind her Rikki knew Sophie was leering at the two of them. "I'm not that bad, you know. My cat, on the other hand, is a grumpy old man."

"You have a cat?"

"Is that a problem?"

Rikki chuckled. "No, it's just funny. You living alone with your _cat._"

"I found him, thank you very much. It wasn't like I was actively seeking out a bad tempered cat that likes to sleep in my bathroom sink. Someone hit him and I couldn't just leave him there. The vet had to amputate his back right leg though, so now he just hops around and eats and growls to himself."

"I like him already."

"So," Lewis continued. "When is your dad leaving?"

"At the end of beginning of next week. Monday or Tuesday."

"Well, then we should probably start moving your stuff in as soon as possible. Today is already Thursday. I'll need your help getting the boxes out of my spare room, though."

Rikki raised an eyebrow. "You've still got boxes? You've been moved in for two months!"

"It's just stuff I need to put in my closet. Photobooks and stuff like that. Nothing big. I've just been so preoccupied lately it sort of slipped my mind."

"Alright, but I'm keeping any baby pictures I find to use as blackmail."

"Ugh huh. Don't worry, I've already _burned them all_ for that exact reason."

"Fine, I'll just call your mum. You know how she gets over pictures."

"Don't remind me. _Please_."

"I guess tonight me and you can clear out your spare room," Rikki suggested. "And tomorrow we can start boxing up my stuff and moving it."

"Sounds good to me." Lewis said, standing up. "I told Cleo I was going to pick her up from work, but I'll be back. Whenever you girls are done doing whatever it is you do just go ahead and come over, I've got three different papers to finish so it isn't like I won't be there." He fished a key out of his back pocket and handed it to her. "Just keep that, I've got a spare in my car. I'll see you later."

With that Lewis left, leaving Rikki to stare at the key he'd given her. It felt cold and heavy in the palm of her hand.

* * *

**a/n: **chapter two written by _when the tide comes in_. don't forget to review, it keeps us updating! x


	4. C h a p t e r : 3

**03.**

Cleo was walking along the beach, the motion in her heart darker than the stormy clouds. Her hair was falling gently on her shoulders and when the wind was swaying it it was covering her face. She didn't even bothered to remove her for one because the wind was doing it, and second she wanted to hide her wet eyes behind it. She had called Lewis the last minute to cancel their arrangement and tell him she wanted to walk home alone. He tried to convince her to let him go and pick her up but it was all in vain.

She was now walking close to the waves crashing on the shore still not too close to get wet. She loved the sound of the crashing of the water and realized she was starting to break down exactly the same way. She hated the pain and the sadness her only wish for them to disappear.

She was deep in her thoughts, eyes wandering beyond the black waters when she felt someone running behind her.

"Cleo, hey, _Cleo_!"

She heard the voice of her friend and closed her eyes for a moment to hold back the tears and to compose herself.

"Now_ you_ are the one who's _not_ talking to _me_, huh?!"

Cleo opened her eyes again and turned to look at her best friend, analyzing her face for a second. "Hey, are you ok, what's wrong with you?"

Instead of answering she leaned forward and pulled Rikki into a hug. When they released Rikki looked at her concerned.

"What the hell was that for?"

"I just… I'll miss you." And the brunette brushed the tears threatening to roll down. "When you go."

"Wha-..?" Realization hit Rikki. "Didn't Lewis tell you?"

The other girl looked at her confused. "Tell me what? He didn't tell me _a thing_."

"That _jerk_!"

"Hey!"

"Sorry, I'm just mad at him." And suddenly Rikki's face broke into a smile. "I'm_ staying_ Cleo! I'm not going anywhere!"

Cleo looked at her still being unable to process it all.

"You what? I mean _really_?"

"As if I could just go and leave you all behind…!"

Cleo was so happy she almost jumped to hug Rikki again, but composed herself on time and Rikki was very thankful to her for that. Then realization hit her.

"And you accepted Lewis' offer, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did. I'm not too thrilled but it's temporarily until I find my own place."

Cleo nodded, but Rikki could see something was bothering her inside.

"Look, I know what you and Lewis were talking about yesterday and-"

"What? How _did_ you-"

"I'm not an idiot, Cleo." Rikki said rolling her eyes. "But I can assure you I _won't let_ anything to happen while I'm staying with him. Besides sometimes I can't even stand him and I'm sure he feels the same. He's your _boyfriend_, Cleo. And I'm your _best friend_. How can it even cross your mind that living together will change things and something will happen?"

Red color rushed to Cleo's cheeks. Rikki only gave her a sympathetic smirk and pat her on the shoulder forcing her to smile too. She then pointed at the black water.

"Up for a race?"

"Anytime." Cleo responded with a smirk and the two jumped in.

{.}

Sophie looked towards the entrance of the cafe just in time to see Zane walking inside. He shoved past her to the office, sitting behind his desk and burying his face in his hands. His dad refused to help him and he felt like he was at a "dead end" state. How was he going to keep "Rikki's" from bankruptcy again?! He did it once, but could he do it again?! He lifted his head and his look fell on the picture on his desk.

He knew it was over. He knew it was his own fault. But hell he _needed_ her. He wanted her _back_. Back with him, back as the manager of the cafe. _Their_ cafe. He knew if someone was to help get out of the dark times for the cafe it was Rikki.

"Thinking of her again?!"

He almost jumped from his place. He hadn't heard her following him let alone coming in. Seeing the smirk on her face, however, he sensed trouble.

"What do you want, Sophie?"

"Just to see if everything's ok with you."

Zane only rolled his eyes annoyed.

"And I wanted to tell you something."

He shook his head and turned on his computer.

"Not now, Sophie, I don't _have_ time for talking."

"But you had time for _thinking_. You were thinking of her didn't you?"

"So what if I was?"

"Oh, nothing. But it's pity to waste your time thinking of someone who so obviously is _not_ thinking of you."

Zane was starting to get pissed.

"Say why you're here or leave."

"I just told you a few se-"

"The_ real_ reason."

"Fine. I'm here to tell you to forget about her because she's moving in someone else's home."

"Excuse me, but if this is one of your manipulative lies again…"

"It's not."

"And who is it she's going to live with may I ask?"

Sophie cleared her throat with a devious smirk.

"_Lewis_."

Zane almost burst in laughter and that shocked her.  
"Do you find this funny?"

"No. I find it absurd and ludicrous! Rikki and Lewis barely can last even _a few seconds_ without starting a fight. And you're telling me they're going to _live_ together?! No _way_. You're mental, Sophie. Go seek help."

She felt her blood boiling. Not only he didn't believe her, but he was making fun of her!

"You know what?! If you don't believe me, ask_ her_!"

She stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind her back. Zane looked after her still smirking. Lewis and Rikki living together?! Yeah, right. This may be possible in Sophie's wildest imagination but in reality it wasn't. Still, he grabbed his phone and texted Rikki to meet him at the docks in an hour.

{.}

After racing and chasing each other through the waves for about an hour they finally went to the moon pool and Cleo said she was tired therefore she headed back to the shore leaving Rikki alone.

The blond closed her eyes and let her whole body just float into the cold water for a moment before she felt little waves of someone swimming up to her and she moved to the corner to make space. When the familiar blond head of her best friend's boyfriend crabbed the surface she smiled.

"What are you doing here so late, Will?"

He took a breath before forming his response. "I came here for a late dive. I love this place."

She only smirked and her tale brushed his legs playfully.

"You know, if I didn't know you, I'd say you're a mermaid."

Her comment made him become a little tense. He knew if he was going to ask the girls for help he should start with Rikki. He only didn't know how to bring up the topic. Instead he simply asked her: "May I…may I touch your tail?"

At first she was a bit shocked by the question, but then she slowly nodded. "Sure."

He moved closer and gently put his hand on the end of her tail and he couldn't describe how amazing it felt. Beside its golden color, it was soft yet strong and at the same time light as feather.

"_Wow_." Was the only thing he managed to say. Rikki smirked causing him to look her straight in the eyes. The flames in her beautiful blue orbits gave him strength and he asked: "How can I get one myself?"

Rikki's smile suddenly vanished and her face became serious.

"You want to get a _tail_?" She asked quietly as if it was some sort of a crime.

He nodded. "I want to be like _you _guys." He replied.

It was her turn now to become tense. "You must be _joking_!"

He shook his head. "I've never been more serious in my life. Please, I need to know how to do it."

She hesitated for a second. She knew it was madness, she knew the moon pool might never get its powers back to transform people into mermen. Still, something in her head was telling her she should help him, because if he tried to find out how to do it and if he tried to do it by himself he may get into big trouble.

"Fine." She sighed. "I'll tell you how can you become a merman, but on one condition."

"What's that?"

"Bella and Cleo must _never_ know I helped you. Tell them now and risk them to stop you, or keep it a secret forever that it was me who told you how to do it!"

Will nodded. "You have my word."

Rikki sighed. "The only thing you have to do is to be in the moon pool during a full moon." And she studied his face for a sign how he coped with this information. "But after Zane, your sister and that maniac obsessed with rocks blew up this place I don't think there's any magic left. I'm not sure, but I don't think so."

Will didn't look upset with the information. "I can at least _try_, can't I?!"

She nodded. "Yes, but you're not going to be alone. I'll be with you too."

"Really?" He didn't sound bothered of that, just the opposite; a smile appeared on his lips. "Thank you."

"It's getting a bit late." Rikki said. "We should go home before the storm hits the town."

Actually she was going to meet Zane at the docks and then head to Lewis' apartment to help him clean his spare room, but Will didn't have to know that.

"You're right." He nodded. "We should go."

And they swam out of the pool.

{.}

Meanwhile Zane was at the café finishing some paper work. He tried really hard to focus on it, but his mind always drifted to what Sophie told him earlier. He couldn't help but wonder if it was true. What if Rikki really _was_ going to live with Lewis? What _then_?!... He checked the time on his watch and realized he had only ten minutes until his meeting with Rikki. He shut down the computer, put the papers in one of the drawers and grabbed his jacket from where it was on the hanger. He put it on and walked out of the office closing the door. He hadn't made even a few steps when he heard a voice behind him say "Are you going somewhere?" He turned around to look at the source of the voice annoyed. "It's _not_ your business." Then he marched out of the café before she could ask him anything else.

He reached the docks really fast and since he had a few minutes alone he closed his eyes and breathed the ocean air. It felt fresh and smelled like salt and seaweeds and most of all it smelled like _her_. When she was in her human form she smelled like a kiwi shampoo and black orchid perfume. But she was a mermaid, a part of the ocean and every time she transformed she smelled like the fresh ocean waters. In a good way of course, because the ocean smelled like_ freedom_.

"Well, well, well. Zane Bennett is _early_ for a meeting. Now that's something new."

When he heard her voice he opened his eyes and spun around. There she was, standing a few feet away, more beautiful than ever: her blond curly hair blown by the wind, her shining ocean-blue eyes fixed on his, and a painfully familiar mischievous smile placed on her cherry lips. Her pale skin was glowing in the dark like she was some mystical magical creature. That she _was_ after all.

His heart fastened. Oh how he wanted to reach out and take her hand, to touch her, to kiss her, to feel her body pressed against his again. But it was impossible. He blew his chance away. It was his fault and nobody else's. Still he couldn't stop his feelings for her and he doubted he ever would.

"You are so beautiful, you know that?!"

Her smile faded a bit and he immediately regretted what he had just said.

"I believe you didn't ask me to meet you just to tell me this." She said a bit impatiently.

He shook his head. "No, I didn't. I asked you to meet me here because I wanted to ask you something."

Before he could continue realization hit her. "Sophie blabbed, am I right?"

A grimace of shock appeared on Zane's face as he slowly nodded. "So, it's true. You _are_ going to live with him."

"Yes." She said. "I am."

He tried to process it all although it was really heard.

"But _why_?"

"My dad's leaving the Gold Coast. He gave me a choice to go with him or stay here. I chose to stay and because when he goes away I won't have a place to live Lewis offered me to stay at his apartment until I find something for myself." She answered him simply.

"Why didn't you tell _me_? You know how big my house is. Why don't you stay at _my_ place?"

"Why would I do that? Zane, we're over and if you want to deal with it easier you shouldn't even offer that. Not to mention your dad hates me and I hate him too. But thanks for the offer though." She gave him a small smile. "If that's all then I'll go now." And she turned to walk away, but he caught her hand in his. "Rikki, wait!" He curled his fingers around hers and when she didn't pulled them back he took it as a good sign.

"You were the best thing that has ever happened to me and I'll never forgive myself for blowing up everything we had. So, I'm _sorry_. I'm sorry for everything I did to you and I want you to know that never wanted to cause you any pain."

"I know." She said. "But don't blame it all on yourself. I guess both of us just couldn't stop and we both let ourselves to reach the point of no return and ruin what we had. So I'm sorry too." And she reluctantly pulled her hand out of his. "Now it's time for both of us to carry on." She never broke the eye contact with him.

"Goodbye, Zane."

She turned to walk away.

"Goodbye…_stranger_."

Hearing his words she held back the tears, smiled sadly and disappeared into the night.

For the first time in his entire life Zane who was left on the docks all by himself felt more alone than ever.

{.}

Lewis who was writing on his computer heard a key twisting in the lock of his door. He quickly stood up and went to the door just when Rikki came in.

"Sorry I'm late, I got a little distracted." She lied, but he noticed the sadness her whole being was giving away.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, thanks."

And she threw the key on the table near the door. "Are we going to clean your spare room or what?"

"Yes, we are." He nodded and lead her in the room.

In was a beautiful room, with blue walls and big windows. At one side of the room there was a big bed with pillows and covers made of silk and a velvet top above them. On the other side, there was a small desk, with various boxes on it as well as on the floor and around the whole room.

"This room's really beautiful." She said making him smile.

"I'm glad you like it." He told her.

It took them only about an hour to clean the room from the boxes and everything else that didn't have to be there. When they were done they had a quick chat when they were going to start bringing in her things and then Lewis offered to drive Rikki home, but she refused. "I prefer walking home alone." Was all she said before she left the apartment. Lewis closed the door of the room that was now going to be hers and sighed to himself. It was _official_ now. She was _moving in_.

* * *

**a/n:** chapter three written by _mermaidbyheart_ . don't forget to review, it keeps us updating! x


	5. C h a p t e r : 4

04.

Rikki knew walking home was pushing it.

The first of many storms, a precursor to Tropical Storm Anna, was supposed to hit early in the morning. Around three, the weather app on her phone said. It was almost one already and she hoped she could beat the rain home. An ominous sort of chill had settled into the air.

Luckily, Rikki was able to make it home.

She didn't sleep much that night. Sitting in the middle of her bed and looking around, Rikki couldn't imagine not living in her little trailer anymore. Though, she had to admit, Lewis's spare room really was beautiful. It had a simple, nautical elegance to it she hadn't expected. Of course, Lewis had said the apartment was furnished when he first got it. She remembered the day he'd told her and Cleo and Bella he was moving out of his mum's house, and Cleo had jokingly said she hoped Lewis wouldn't be doing the painting.

Colors, the arts-they'd never been Lewis's strong point.

Clearing out the spare room hadn't been as awkward as Rikki thought it'd be. For the first few minutes she'd felt tense and out of place, but Lewis seemed so comfortable, so at home , that Rikki couldn't help but begin to relax as well.

( plus, when she first arrived, lewis answered the door with wet hair and wearing nothing but a pair of low riding sweatpants. that was definitely incentive to stay. )

He seemed different when he was away from the others - he was more open, like his guard was down. Although why it'd even be up, Rikki was unsure.

She wasn't quite sure if she wanted to find out.

{.}

Zane didn't know if he trusted Lewis.

Their friendship had always been a tentative one at best, and it wasn't until recently that they really began to enjoy one another's company. But there was something different about Lewis. Zane didn't feel as though he knew him, not like he knew Nate. Of course, he'd known Nate since the two of them were in diapers, but that wasn't the point.

The point was Zane didn't like the idea of Rikki living with Lewis, even if it was just a temporary arrangement.

Still standing on the docks, Zane peered out at the ocean. He could never understand Rikki's fascination with it; it was just a big, salty body of water. There was nothing special about it. He couldn't understand Lewis's passion for it either, and maybe that's what scared Zane. Rikki accused him of not knowing her, of not wanting to know her, on more occasions than he could count - but Lewis? Lewis loved the ocean just like she, Cleo, Bella, and Will did. Zane had once overheard Lewis say the ocean was the only cure for a soul that was too big and threatening to burst from your chest.

Whatever that meant.

He carded a hand through his dark hair and listened to the thunder rumble in the distance.

God, did he miss Rikki.

{.}

Cleo couldn't have been happier.

For a while she'd really thought she was going to lose another best friend, but then Rikki had told her she was going to being staying - staying! Even if did mean an awkward few months living with Lewis. But oh well, Cleo had been close to happy tears anyway. She had to skype Emma tonight and tell her about the hectic week they'd all had.

In fact, Cleo decided she'd invite Rikki and Bella over and they could have another group chat. Bella and Emma both were about to come out of their skin with excitement at the prospect of meeting one another. Cleo decided she'd call the girls in the morning (which would be evening where Emma was at) and see if they were up for a chat. Excitement of her own bubbled up in Cleo's chest.

Despite the oncoming storm, it seemed as though things were starting to go right again.

{.}

Rikki had two boxes in her arms when her phone started ringing. She groaned and carefully sat them down on the floor before fishing her phone from her back pocket.

"Yeah?" She answered, not bothering to check to caller id.

"Hi Rikki!" Cleo chirped, and holy shit, it was too goddamn early for her enthusiasm. "Are you busy?"

"Yeah," She answered tiredly. "Me and Lewis are getting my stuff moved. We should be done by noon though, we've been at it for like two hours. How come?"

Cleo was silent for a moment. "Oh. I was just thinking me and you and Bella could skype Emma. She'll probably be in bed by the time you get done though."

"You and Bella go ahead without me," Rikki replied. "I'll catch the next call. Promise. I just want to get all my stuff in before the storm hits. The radar is saying we've got until three before it gets really bad."

"Okay. Well, that sounds good! Talk to you later then?"

"You know it." Rikki said.

Once Cleo hung up she pocketed her phone and picked her boxes back up and headed outside to put them in Lewis's vehicle. They didn't have much more to get, thank God. Rikki was pretty sure her arms were about to fall off. She was also helping Terry pack up his things. The look on her father's face through the morning broke her heart. He didn't want to leave the Gold Coast anymore than she did. Hell, she didn't even know where he was headed. Rikki doubted he knew, either. Once all her stuff had been crammed into Lewis's car, Rikki felt a brief moment of panic.

This was it. She was really leaving.

The weight of Lewis's hand on her shoulder pulled her from her thoughts.

"Take all the time you need to say goodbye." He said gently. The softness in his eyes made Rikki's chest tight.

She nodded and went back inside to say her final farewell. Rikki hugged her father so tightly he chuckled into her hair; "I can't breathe, darlin'."

"I'm gonna' miss you." She replied. "Promise me you'll call me the second you get where you're going?"

"I promise." Terry replied. "And you'll come visit me sometime?"

"Of course." Rikki said, fighting back the tears welling in her eyes. "I love you."

He squeezed her tighter. "I love you more."

Terry released her, took her face in his hands and pressed a kiss to her forehead, before smiling sadly. "Now get out of here. You've got a life to live."

Rikki gave him one last smile before turning her back to her adolescent home and walking out the door. Her father was right, this was no time for tears - she had a brand new life to live.

{.}

"You don't always have to be the strong one." Lewis said as they pulled up to a stoplight, noting the tenseness between them. He knew she was doing her best not to cry.

Rikki shrugged. "I could say the same thing to you."

He chuckled, although it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I think we have different definitions of strong."

She turned to look at him, he could feel her gaze on the side of his head, but Lewis kept his eyes straight ahead. Lightning flashed in the near distance, striking down to meet the sea.

"No," Rikki replied. "I don't think we do."

Their brief conversation had taken a strange turn and Lewis didn't like it. It wasn't like Rikki to be a conversationalist anyway. He caught his bottom lip between his and sighed as he drove through the now green light.

"I don't know what you want me to say." He admitted.

Rikki finally turned away from him. "You don't have to say anything."

And for the rest of the drive, they didn't.

{.}

The full moon was tomorrow night and Will couldn't stop pacing.

He was anxious and excited and scared and every other emotion under the sun. Was he really ready to give up his humanity? To be like the girls? Will knew he wasn't going to change his mind, the ocean and diving were his biggest passions and being like them, having a tail - it was his dream. Something he'd always dreamed of but never knew possible. How would his life be altered once he was transformed? If he transformed, that is.

Will felt a twinge of anger at Sophie for having a part in destroying the moon pool, but he knew he couldn't stay mad at his sister forever. He loved her, and everything she did she did for the two of them. Sophie just had a habit of going about things the wrong way.

And in this case? The really wrong way.

Unable to sit still, Will decided to shoot Rikki a text message.

_Tomorrow is the full moon_. He wrote. _You haven't changed your mind, have you?_

He prayed she hadn't.

* * *

**a/n:** chapter written by _whenthetidescomesin_. SORRY THIS IS LATE AND SHORT I AM A BIG DUMB I KNOW. ily guys. x


	6. C h a p t e r : 5

**05.**

Emma couldn't wait to tell the girls the good news she'd just learned. She couldn't believe after all this time away she was going to see them all again. She couldn't sit still and was jumping all over the place, staring at her laptop and waiting for Cleo to call her.

As it turned out she didn't have to wait much longer.

"Em, hello, how are you?" She saw her brunette friend smiling widely at her through her web camera.

Then she noticed a blond girl coming in to the room and saw Cleo turning around to say "Bella, come here, I'm talking to Emma!"

"You called her without waiting for me?" Emma heard the other girl ask her but she was smiling too. "Hi, Em." She then turned to wave at the camera.

"Hi, Bella!" Emma smiled widely too. "Hey, guys, where's Rikki, I've got some _big _news to tell you?!"

"She won't be able to make it today." The brunette responded.

"Why?" Emma's smile weakened. She wanted all the three to be together when they hear her news.

"She and Lewis are moving her stuff at Lewis' place." Cleo answered again.

"What? Rikki's going to live with Lewis?!" Emma was stunned.

"It's a long story, we had a hell of a week." The other girl shook her head.

"So, Em, what's your big news?" Bella asked curiously with a smile.

"Well, I wanted you all three to be together when you hear it, but oh well...I'm _coming back_!" The blond announced with one of her biggest smiles.

Her words were followed by a scream from Cleo and a gasp of excitement from Bella.

"Oh, my god, Em, really?" Cleo asked and she looked like would start hugging the computer.

"Really." Emma nodded.

"That's so exciting, I can't wait to meet you personally!" Bella exclaimed with a grin.

"Me too." Emma grinned in response.

She already couldn't wait to see her friends again.

{ . }

"_I love you more_."

The words repeated themselves in Rikki's head over and over again. She was trying hard to focus on the movie she was watching but she just couldn't. She was wondering where was her father now, what he must be doing, and most of all she was trying to get used to all that freedom she now had. It was really exciting yet a bit scary, though she would never admit that. Still, she was a Chadwick, and she knew she could handle anything life would throw at her. She was sure of it.

Lewis looked over where Rikki was sitting on the couch watching TV. He wondered how she must be feeling but asking her about it wasn't an option. Instead he got back to making some dinner for both of them.

"What are you doing?" He heard her asking him and looked at her again.

"Making dinner." He responded.

"You can _cook_?" She couldn't hide the amusement in her voice.

"I can do many things, thank you very much." He answered the slightest trace of bitterness audible in his voice.

"Sorry, I'm just shocked." She said trying hard not to laugh.

"Well, I do need to eat, don't I?"

"Yeah but you can always order pizza on the phone."

"That's not very healthy."

"_Healthy_?! Since when exactly did you become a healthy food expert?" She looked at him with a grin, trying to hold back her laughter.

He only gave her a look without responding.

"And what is it you're cooking?"

"You'll see." It was his turn to grin at her and she didn't like his smirk.

"Whatever." She sighed and turned back to the TV. "Just tell me when it's ready." Was the last thing she said before falling back into watching the movie.

Just then her phone beeped. She looked at the screen. It was a message from Will. "_Tomorrow is the full moon_." It read. "_You haven't changed your mind, have you?" _Rikki quickly typed back an answer. "_No._" She wrote. "_I'll be there. I promised didn't I?!_"

{ . }

Zane didn't get much sleep that night.

He was tossing in his bed half of the night and when eventually he managed to fall asleep, he had a terrible nightmare about one part of his life no one knew about. It was concerning his early childhood years and was also the reason why he didn't like the ocean and why he couldn't understand Rikki's closeness to it.

The nightmare he had was about his mother. When he was only five years old she always used to take him to the beach and she always used to taking out in the ocean with the family boat. She was the one who taught him how to swim, and was always telling him stories about the water. His mother loved the ocean like it was a part of her just like Rikki did and that's why Zane was having such a hard time accepting Rikki's mermaid identity.

In his nightmare he was with his mother in their boat again, when she fell in the water and suddenly out of nowhere there was a shark speed swimming towards her. Zane tried to pull her out, but the shark was faster and it bit her before he had the chance to get to her with the boat. He stood frozen watching the shark attacking her again and again until the water turned dark red from her blood. Her tearful eyes found his and before she took her last breath she suddenly morphed into Rikki who stretched her hand to him just when the shark morphed into Lewis who pulled her under the water, the shine of her golden tale being the last thing he saw before waking up all sweaty and shaking.

He swallowed hard taking a deep breath and trying to calm down. "_It was a nightmare._" He reminded to himself. "_Just a nightmare._" Still he couldn't go back to sleep again that night.

{ . }

Will felt relief spreading through his body when he got Rikki's response. "_Thanks_". He wrote back to her."_It means a lot._" He then put his phone down on the table and rested in his bed his eyes closed, before someone bursted through the door. He was up in a flash only to stand face to face with his sister.

"Soph?! What are you doing here, are you ok?"

At first she didn't respond just paced around angrily.

"He laughed at me." She suddenly spoke and that earned her a confused look from Will.

"He? He who?"

She rolled her eyes at how slow he was. "Who do you think?! Zane of course."

His expression turned from confusion to the slightest bit of annoyance. "I should've guessed." He murmured to himself and looked at her. "What was it you did this time?"

"What?" She sounded quite offended. "_I_ didn't do anything. I just tried to tell him she's moving in with Lewis and he laughed at my face." She couldn't hide the bits of anger in her voice.

"Wait, what? How did _you_ find out about Rikki staying with Lewis?"

"Your girlfriend was talking with Rikki about it earlier at the cafe and I happened to accidentally overhear their conversation."

"You _accidentally_ overheard them?"

"Yes." And she glared at him. "I wasn't eavesdropping if that's what you're thinking, Will. You know me, I'm not that kind of person."

"I'm not so sure, sis. I thought I really knew you, but I really don't know anymore."

For a few seconds she stared at him with shock, then she marched to the door and before she walked away she turned around. "I thought I knew you too." With that she left slamming the door behind her back.

Will slumped on the bed heavily breathing hard. He hated his arguments with Sophie. He loved her dearly because she was his sister after all, but sometimes he had the feeling he didn't know who she was. What's worse there were times, just a split moments when he felt Cleo and Rikki were more like his sisters than her and deep in his heart that fact scared him to death.

After a while his look fell on the table before him and he noticed his phone was flashing occasionally. It was Rikki's answer to his response. Her message consisted of one word.

"_Always_."

{ . }

When she left her brother's boatshed Sophie didn't go back to the cafe. She needed sometime to clear her head and think things through. She went for a walk on the beach. Strangely enough just staring at the sparkling water seemed to always calm her down. She sighed.

"I wish we never had to come here." She whispered to herself. "I wish none of this had happened."

But it did. Will came here to the Gold Coast because he thought it was the best place for diving and she followed him. Then she fell in love with someone who would never look at her the way she wanted and she did some pretty stupid things driven only by jealousy, avarice and anger. Some of them she regretted for doing. But she could never regret for pressing her lips against his caught in the euphoria after her brother won the competition. This she could never regret for.

The memory of his soft yet extremely rough manly lips was still burning on her own and right then and there, staring far beyond the horizon she swore she would do everything to kiss him again and to make him hers.

A devious smirk rose on her lips when a plan formed in the back of her head. She would get Zane and the cafe only for herself and she would make Rikki Chadwick's life a living hell.

Sophie Benjamin would show everyone who she was and what she was capable of. Because no one treated her like crap and got away with it. _No one_.

{ . }

It was late in the evening when Lewis got out of bed to get himself a glass of milk.

He walked out of his room and immediately noticed the dim light of the working TV and Rikki fallen asleep on the couch. He smiled slightly to himself and walked to where the TV was turning it off. He then reached to take the TV remote off her lightened grip putting it on the table. When he turned around to Rikki again to cover her with a blanket he noticed the trace of a dry tear on her left cheek.

Not doing anything else he walked to the fridge to pour himself the glass of milk he had gotten up for. He turned to go back to his room and into his bed when Rikki's phone suddenly lit up and vibrated from it's place on the table. Afraid it might wake her up he took it to turned it off and noticed she'd just received a message from Will that read "_What should I tell the girls? That it was an accident?!_" Lewis glared at the screen. What the bloody hell was Will talking about? Rikki suddenly moved on the couch so he just turned off her phone putting it back on its place and hurried into his room.

He drank the milk and closed his eyes trying to fall back asleep. Still, he couldn't help but wonder about Will's message. He and Rikki seemed to be up to something and Lewis wouldn't stop until he found out what exactly.

* * *

**a/n: **Chapter 5 written by _mermaidbyheart_ . Please don't forget to review! xXx


	7. C h a p t e r : 6

06.

Rikki wakes up on Lewis's couch.

She squinted tiredly in the early morning and peered around, confused. Why wasn't she in her bed? Her bed. The phrase sounded strange to her. With a yawn she sat up, which brought her attention to the blanket now pooled at her waist. Lewis must've got up in the night, found her, and draped it across her. Rikki couldn't help but allow herself a little smile.

Some things about Lewis will just never change. And for that, secretly, she was thankful. In an everchanging world it was nice to have steady things to ground her; Lewis's little acts of kindness. Bella's ambition and optimism. The light in Cleo's smile. Emma's patience and tidiness. The innocence Will always seemed to radiate - not to mention his passion for the sea.

Will. His text from last night came rushing back to Rikki's mind. Tonight was the full moon and she was going to help him give up his humanity and get a tail of his own. She knew what it was like to want something so so desperately and know you can never have it, which is exactly why Rikki decided against consulting Bella and Cleo. She'd come up with a story the night before, after Lewis had gone to bed:

When the girls found out about Will's new status as a merman Rikki was going to say she'd gotten dangerously moonstruck and ran to Mako island. Concerned, Will followed after her and fell into the moon pool, trying to get Rikki out, while the moon passed overhead.

Of course, there was one issue with her lie. The full moon didn't actually effect any of them anymore. Well, not like it used too anyway. They could all feel it when the moon was full - it was like heroin, in a sense; thrumming and pulsing through their veins and calling them out to the sea. They'd been mermaids for so long now, though, they'd grown resistant to the call. It could be easily ignored. Rikki caught her bottom lip between her teeth, raking her mind. What else could she say? Perhaps she could blame Tropical Storm Anna. Would that be believable? Rikki was unsure, but figured it'd be a better excuse than none at all.

Another thought sprung to her mind as she grabbed her phone off Lewis's coffee table. Newly turned, would Will be susceptible to the full moon?

Rikki sighed. Just another question she couldn't answer.

She was surprised there weren't any new text messages from Will. He'd texted all through the movie her and Lewis ended up watching - some gore fest she couldn't remember the title of, which turned out to be another curve ball Lewis threw her for.

He liked horror. And slasher films. And gore fests.

Rikki decided, next time the girls wanted a full moon movie night, she was bringing them here and letting Lewis choose the movie. Because seriously, she couldn't handle another one of Cleo's chick-flicks. If she had to watch The Notebook one more time Rikki was pretty sure she was going to melt the damn television.

Her phone suddenly lit up in her hands. It was a text from Cleo.

"_EMMA'S COMING HOME!_"

The phone nearly fell out of Rikki's hand. She quickly dialed Cleo's number and waited for her friend to answer with baited breath. Could it be true? Was Emma really coming home?

Cleo didn't bother with a hi or hello when she answered, just an excited "Did you get my text?!"

"Yeah! Is Emma really coming back?!"

There was a squeal on the other end. "Yes! She said she'll be back on the Gold Coast by the end of the week!"

Rikki couldn't stop the grin that broke out across her face. "Hold on," She said quickly into the phone, then leapt up from the couch and ran into Lewis's bedroom. "Lewis! Lewis?"

His bedroom was empty. She checked her own, and then the bathroom, and then the kitchen. All empty.

"Huh," Rikki said into the phone. "Does Lewis have class today?"

"Not until four. Why?" Cleo replied.

"He's not here."

{.}

To say Sophie was in a bad mood was an understatement. Zane had no right to act like such a jackass. Although, in retrospect, that was part of the reason she liked him so much. He knew how to get what we wanted when he wanted it and he wasn't afraid to bend the rules to his advantage. He was also more intelligent than the bratty girls he consorted with gave him credit for. Especially Rikki.

Fucking _Rikki_.

Sophie had no idea what Zane could see in a girl like her. She was pretty, yeah, but not like Sophie. It was obvious she didn't know how to use makeup to accent her features, she didn't know how to dress to flatter herself (my god, how many casual clothes can a person own?), her hair was always pulled back or falling frizzily around her face, she didn't even know how to socialize well.

Rikki was just a hot wild-eyed _mess_.

And then there was her brother's girlfriend, Bella. Little miss Bella who was oh so perfect and got him oh so well. Sophie wished she could get Will to see that Bella didn't care about him or his future. If Bella cared at all she'd leave him so he could focus on becoming a world champion. Will used to jump at the chance to go diving, and now? Now it was like pulling teeth to get Will into the water. Not to mention the sponsor he blew off in favor of Bella. He'd rather spend time with her.

Sophie fumed at the thought and angrily scrubbed the glass she was wiping down. She was going to get back at those girls for making her look bad, for humiliating her and stealing her brother away. For stealing Zane away, Zane who deserved the world - he could have the world if he just dropped Rikki and teamed up with her. Sophie knew her and Zane were so much more alike than he realized. They could be goddamn gladiators together.

But no, Zane was too busy chasing after Rikki who obviously didn't want him anymore. Hell, she's living with another fucking man. That should be a clear enough signal to Zane that it's over. But Zane was persistant and stubborn, that much was clear. It's a good thing Sophie was too. She could wait him out easily.

Although, once she trashed those girls' reputations, she wouldn't have to wait on Zane.

He'd coming running right to her.

{.}

Lewis McCartney was the last person Will expected to find on his doorstep.

They were friends, sort of, but not the close sort of friends that showed up at one another's place unannounced. Not like Bella, Cleo, and Rikki could. He was obviously here for a reason, but for what reason?

"Lewis?" Will asked. "What're you -"

"What are you planning with Rikki?"

Will felt his blood run cold. He didn't know, did he? "What?"

"I got up last night to get a drink, saw Rikki fell asleep on the couch, so I decided to throw a blanket on her. Her phone started buzzing off the hook and, seeing as it was it was four in the morning, I thought there might be an emergency with her father and decided to check it. But it wasn't her father, it was you. So, tell me Will, what are you trying to make look like an accident?"

There were two sides to Lewis, it seemed; there was the friendly soft-spoken one you saw most of the time, and then there was the calculated, determined one with eyes and concentration like steel. Will felt completely cornered. How was he going to lie his way out of this one?

"How much did you read?" Will managed, unsure of what else to say.

"Just the one text that popped up. I'm not going to read through her private text messages, Will. I'm not Zane. But like I said, I wanted to make sure there wasn't an emergency. _Should I make it look like an accident_ is still a pretty concerning text, though." Lewis walked inside casually, as though he wasn't metaphorically backing Will into a corner. "C'mon Will, man to man, what are you trying to hide from Bella and Cleo? And me, obviously."

Shit. Shit shit shit.

"Nothing." Will said. "It's, ugh - a surprise."

Lewis arched an eyebrow. "Really, Will? Really? That was pathetic."

"Look, it's nothing bad, okay?"

"Then why are you hiding it? And since when do accidents come in the form of good things?"

"Ask Rikki," Will quickly answered. She'd be able to lie better than he could. "I don't know how much she wants me to say, but if you're really that concerned, ask her."

"Alright." Lewis agreed, and with that he left, leaving Will with a racing heart. Lewis seemed like a trustworthy enough person, he'd certainly never betray any of them, but would he tell Bella and Cleo what him and Rikki were planning?

Will quickly grabbed his phone from where he'd thrown it on the couch earlier and dialed Rikki's number.

{.}

"Hey Cleo, you find Lewis yet?"

Cleo looked up at the sound of Rikki's voice. She smiled up at her friend, though the light of it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"No," She answered. "I tried calling him but he didn't pick up."

"That's weird."

"Tell me about it." Cleo agreed.

As if on que, Lewis and Will came walking into the cafe. For a moment Rikki forgot how to breathe. Was it possible Lewis knew what her and Will were up to? Lewis had his jaw set in a hard line - and whoa, when did Lewis get such a nice profile?

Anyway. Moving away from that thought.

Will looked anxious. Guilty, even. The fact Lewis and Will were even walking in together was strange. They weren't exactly close. Something must've happened, or been said-

"Rikki, you okay?" Cleo asked, pulling Rikki from her speculation.

"Yeah, I'm -"

Lewis cuts her off. "We need to talk."

Cleo spun around in her chair, assuming Lewis was addressing her, but when she turned to face him Lewis wasn't even looking in her direction. He didn't look happy, either. She swallowed thickly. He wasn't going to try and break up with her again, was he?

"Then talk." Rikki countered.

"Privately."

Rikki looked briefly at Will, then back to Cleo.

"I'll be right back." She said before leading Lewis back to her and Zane's office.

Zane was out, thankfully. Rikki was surprised at how much she didn't care about what he was doing at the moment. Used to, the thought of him sneaking around with someone else, Sophie especially, fueled her with jealousy and hurt and anger, but now? Not it didn't bother her as much.

Maybe, Rikki thought, she really was starting to move on.

"What is it, Lewis?" She asked, closing the door behind her as they entered the office.

"What are you planning with Will?"

Rikki was pretty sure she did stop breathing then.

"What?"

"He's not as subtle as you think. I know you two are up to something, and you want to make it look like an accident? When I asked Will about it he told me to ask you because he didn't know how much you wanted him to say."

Rikki knitted her eyebrows together, confused. "Make it look like an accident? What are you talking about?"

"That's what the message from Will you got at four o'clock this morning said. I got up to get a drink, saw you asleep on the couch and saw your phone lighting up nonstop. I thought it might've been an emergency. Or your dad. That wasn't the case."

"You read my text messages?" She asked, voice raising and temper flaring.

"No. I couldn't even I wanted to - which I don't, because I'm not Zane. I don't know your passcode. Don't change the subject, Rikki. I saw the message that popped up from Will. I don't know what his others said, because he was blowing your phone up, but I do know what that one did, and I want to know what you're up to. What are you two planning?"

"It's none of your business." Rikki retorted. "None of it is."

"When it involves my friends, yeah, it does. Excuse me if I'm a little paranoid after all the shit you three get yourselves into. Oh no, let me correct myself, four."

The reference to Emma made Rikki's heart leap. She was the whole reason Rikki was even trying to find Lewis this morning, to let him know she was coming back. Now definitely wasn't the time to bring Emma up, though.

"We don't need you protecting us! We can take care of ourselves just fine."

"If it wasn't for me and Zane you three would be with Linda in a lab somewhere! Not to mention Zane actually considered leaving you there."

The memories stung. Rikki remembered Zane telling her it was _out of his hands_ when she asked him to help them. She didn't know what he'd said to Lewis on their boat ride to the Moon Pool, but the fact remained. Of course, Rikki reasoned, that hadn't been all Zane. She knew Zane had been under Harrison's thumb since he was young; of course going against him would be difficult, especially with so much money and fame on the line. It still didn't excuse that brief moment, though. That split second rush of panic Rikki felt when she spat in his face _you disgust me_.

She'd thought they were truly and thoroughly fucked.

But Zane had turned around. He had a good heart, he did, he was just... troubled. Rikki wouldn't let that justify any of his bad actions, but it helped her understand them. He wasn't a malicious person, he just didn't know how to make good choices. His judgment had been skewed from an early age because of Harrison's conditioning.

"We would've figured something out."

Lewis barked a laugh. "What, Rikki? What would you have done?"

"This conversation is over." She said coldly.

"No, it's not. What are you and Will planning?"

"It's none of your fucking business!"

"So it is something bad. Let me guess, another mess Zane and I are going to have to deal with later?"

Rikki made a frustrated noise and stomped out of the office. Exasperated, Lewis followed after her.

No one mentions Emma for the rest of the day.

* * *

**a/n:** written by _when the tide comes in_. leave your thoughts! we'd like to know what you think so far~ x


	8. C h a p t e r : 7

**07.**

The last thing Zane Bennett expected was Lewis McCartney asking him for help.

It was already noon when floating on his air mattress in the pool he heard the knock on his door and got out of the pool to see who it was. It's needless to say how big his surprise was when he found himself standing face to face with Lewis.

"Lewis? What _on earth_ are you doing here?" he asked him stunned.

"I have a favour to ask you." Lewis answered simply.

"Uh, ok." And Zane moved to grab his towel and brushed his face.

Lewis looked around. Zane's house was big and very beautiful and so was the pool. There was something about it however that was reminding of Zane himself.

"So, care to explain what favour exactly do you need?"

Lewis looked at him again.

"It's about Rikki."

Those few words set Zane on edge.

"She's planning something with Will. Something _bad_ that they want to make it look like an accident."

Zane got from extremely worried to confused and a little bit angry.

"How do you know?"

"Well, it's simple. It was late in the night when I woke up and went to the kitchen to get myself a glass of milk. Rikki had fallen asleep on the couch and on my way back to my room her phone lit up and started vibrating signaling she'd just got a new message."

Lewis missed the part he'd covered Rikki with a blanket on purpose. He knew if he wanted to get help from Zane he shouldn't let him get mad or jealous even.

"I opened it thinking it was her dad or some emergency with the girls. But it was neither. The message she received was from Will. It read "_What should I tell the girls? That it was an accident?!_" and I didn't know what to think. The next morning I went straight to the boatshed and confronted Will about it. He however tried to cover it all up and when I pushed him harder he told me to talk to Rikki. And so I did, but she yelled at me for reading her messages and never answered me."

Zane stared at him.

"I still don't understand what favor do you need."

"Keep an eye on her. She and Will are planning _something _dangerous and even if she doesn't realize it she needs someone to watch out for her. Will you do that?"

"I don't think Rikki would be thrilled if she finds out. Besides you're the one living with her." Lewis felt the bitterness in Zane's voice. "You're in better position to keep an eye on her than I am."

"I'm not. She's mad at me and it is very likely for her to try to avoid me probably for the whole next week. But she visits the cafe often and you're there all the time. That's why I thought you might be perfect to watch out for her."

Zane looked at the face of the other boy. He could clearly see the genuine concern in his eyes, but there was still some weird gut feeling in his stomach. He tried hard to ignore it, but it's needless to say he failed.

"Ok." He heard himself saying. "I will keep an eye on her. But I'm doing it only because I care too much about her, not because you're asking me, alright?!"

Lewis nodded. "Alright."

"So if that's all you can go now." Zane added.

"Ok." And Lewis turned around to leave.

Walking away he heard a loud splash sound from the pool and couldn't help but smile slightly.

{ . }

Cleo was waiting impatiently at the cafe for Rikki to come. She longed for some answers and she'd do anything to get them out of her friend.

"Hi!" Rikki greeted and sat opposite her.

"Hi." Cleo greeted her back but Rikki felt her temperance.

"Is there anything wrong?!" The curly blond asked her.

"You tell me."

"Sorry?"

"What was the private talk you and Lewis had yesterday all about?"

"Oh, it was nothing."

"_Nothing_?!" Cleo laughed ironically. "Rikki your yells were echoing over the whole cafe and then you stormed off the office slamming the door!"

"Like I said it was nothing. But you should tell your boyfriend not to go read someone else's private text messages!" Rikki shot back at her.

Red color rushed to Cleo's cheeks. "What are you talking about? Are you saying he took your phone and read your messages?"

"He read just one, but that's pure invasion of my private space." Rikki stated bitterly. "Now if you're done with all the questions I suggest us to talk about something more interesting."

"Like what?"

"Emma for instance. You need to tell me more about her coming back!" And the curly blond gave the brunette a smirk.

"Well, like I said she's coming back next week."

"We need to throw her a "_Welcome home_" party." Like a person who lived for parties Rikki was going to make this one really memorable for Emma.

"Sounds great!" Cleo said. "Where should we make it though? It's not like we can do it here - "

"Why not?" Rikki interrupted her with a smirk. "I'll talk to Zane and I'm sure he'll be okay with it. Besides even if he's not he won't be having a choice. It's his fault the moon pool's destroyed. This would be his chance to redeem a small part of his guilt."

"Ok, so Bella and the band can sing and be the entertainment, you can decorate the place and I can take care of the food. As for the boys they can get us some supplies." Cleo counted the duties on her fingers. "It's going to be great!" She smiled at Rikki.

Before they could say another word they were interrupted by an elder lady who had gotten on the stage and was talking on the microphone.

"_Attention everyone! After a few weeks there's going to be a charity dance marathon for gathering means for sea turtles! Thanks to Zane Bennett who owns this place and was nice enough to offer it will be held here in "_Rikki's_" cafe. Only couples can take part in the marathon. Any couple who wants can fill in the signup form_."

Cleo's face lit up. "That's amazing!" She exclaimed. "I'm going to sign up me and Lewis!"

Rikki smirked. "Do you even know if Lewis can dance?"

"I have no idea, but he can always learn."

Rikki only laughed staring after Cleo when she stood up and went to the woman to ask where she can sign up her and Lewis.

{ . }

Bella noticed Will was awfully all day. They were at the boatshed, curled up on Will's bed.

"Will, is everything ok?"

"Huh?" He turned his head to look at her. "Oh, yes, everything's fine." He lied.

He was thinking about what he was about to do. He felt the slightest bit of guilt for not telling Bella about it, but he knew she'd try to talk him out of it and because he had already made up his mind he prefered to keep it a secret for now. Until he succeeded at least.

"Cleo told me there's going to be a dance marathon at the cafe and it's only for couples. She had already signed up her and Lewis. How do you feel about if I sign us up?"

"Yeah, sounds great." He tried to sound as cheerful as possible and gave her a smile.

"Will what is it?" Bella put her hand on him gently pushing herself up to look at him. "I can feel something's going on with you."

"Nothing's going on with me, I told you everything's fine." Will said sounding a bit annoyed and also lifted himself to sit up.

"No, it's not fine. Something's bothering you, I can feel it."

"I told you nothing is going on!" He suddenly raised his voice and immediately regretted for it. "Just forget about it, ok?!" He said now sounding softly and looked at her guiltily.

She had tears in her eyes. "You're starting to get like Rikki." Bella said bitterly. "You keep everything for yourself and barely share anything with everyone else." She stood off pulling out of him. "And I'm not sure if I like it." With that she ran out of the boatshed jumping into the water.

Will buried his face into his hands. He felt like the situation was getting out of his hands and he too wasn't sure if he liked it.

{ . }

It was late in the evening when Lewis was making some dinner. Rikki wasn't there and the blond had no idea when she was going to get home but he was making a meal for her too. He was casting occasional looks to the TV because one of his favourite crime series was on.

Suddenly his front door opened with a loud smash and he saw Rikki storming in the apartment. Shocked from her sudden incursion and lost for words Lewis momentarily felt the temperature of the room rising up. He opened his mouth to ask the curly blond what was going on but she ran into her room slamming the door after her.

Before she disappeared behind it however Lewis thought he heard a quiet sob.

The next morning he was the first to wake up. He walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water.

He drank it and when he turned around to get back into his room but ran straight into Rikki. She spun around quickly to walk back into her room hoping he hadn't noticed her face, but she wasn't quick enough. He grabbed her hand and made her turn around again. When she turned around he saw how red and fluffy her eyes were as if she'd cried all night.

"Is everything alright?" He asked her deeply concerned.

"Everything's fine." She answered a bit more harshly than she had originally intended and shoved past him to the fridge.

She took a bottle of water and a straw and went back to her room leaving Lewis shocked and more confused than ever.

{ . }

The door of Cleo's bedroom opened and Bella walked in. Soon after Rikki came too. The two girls immediately noticed her red puffy eyes, but before they could even open their mouths Cleo got the call from Emma they'd had gathered there for.

"Hello, Em!" Cleo cheered excitedly followed by Bella. Rikki only tried to smile, not saying anything.

"Hi, guys!" Emma smiled in response. "Hey, Rikki, I see you made it this time?!"

Rikki couldn't help but smirk slightly. "I couldn't miss it again."

That reminded Emma why exactly the other girl wasn't there the previous time. "So, you're living with Lewis, huh?"

Rikki shook her head. "Tell me about it." And she hurried to add. "But he's not nearly as bad as his cat."

Emma started laughing. "What? Lewis has a cat?"

Rikki started laughing too. "And he calls it his "grumpy old man"!"

"Who calls his cat like that?" They heard a voice behind Emma and when she moved they saw Eliot coming into her room.

"Hello, Eliot." Cleo waved to him. "You've grown up!"

"Thanks. So who were you talking about before I came?"

"Lewis." Cleo responded.

"Lewis has a cat?" Eliot started laughing.

"And he calls it "grumpy old man"." Rikki added.

"And how do you know?" Eliot raised his eyebrows.

Red color rushed to Rikki's cheeks. "Because I'm living with him now."

"What? You? Living with Lewis?" Eliot was now laughing harder. "Did you see him naked already?"

"_ELIOT_!" Emma yelled before everyone bursted in laughter.

Rikki's cheeks were now bright red, but she was laughing too along with the others.

After what happened to her yesterday she was thankful to have a moment with her friends like this one when she can laugh along with them and forget about everything else.

Because even though they still didn't know it, times were about to come when these bonding moments would be everything they'd have left to hold on to.

{ . }

Don Sertori was at his living room with his wife Samantha when he received a worrying call by one of his employees.

Sam was analyzing his face while he was talking and when he hung up she softly asked him.

"Is everything ok?"

"No, there's a problem with one of my boats. They couldn't explain what exactly but I have to go."

"Are you sure it is a good idea? I mean the storm's about to hit anytime now."

"Don't worry, Sam, I'll be ok. I promise."

He gave her a kiss and hurried out of the house. She followed him the look in her eyes full of concern.

* * *

**a/n:** Chapter written by _mermaidbyheart_ . Best wishes to all! Read & Review! xX


	9. C h a p t e r : 8

08.

"Cleo, no."

"Aww, come on Lewis. It'll be fun!"

"_No_."

"Why not?"

"I can't _dance_."

Cleo huffed and crossed her arms impatiently across her chest, irritated. Lewis had been distracted all afternoon. He wasn't even _looking _at the television. They were supposed to be watching a movie together, emphasis on _watching _and _together_, but he wouldn't put his phone down. He was checking it every other minute and kept sending text messages. Cleo thought bringing up the upcoming Dance Marathon Benefit for the Sea Turtles she'd signed them up for would draw his attention back to her. It didn't. Finally, Cleo paused the movie and leapt off the couch.

Lewis looked away from his phone and up at her, confused.

"Alright Lewis, _what _gives?" She fumed. "Who are you texting that is obviously _so much more _important than me?"

He knitted his eyebrows together. "What? I'm not texting anybody." _Lie. _

"Don't you lie to me, Lewis."

"I'm not!" He said defensively.

"Then let me see your phone."

"Cleo, you're being delusional."

"No, I'm not. If you're not texting anybody give me your phone."

A muscle in Lewis's jaw ticked. "You're not going through my phone."

"Why not? You didn't have a problem going through Rikki's!"

He barked a laugh. "Is _that _what she told you? Did Rikki also mention her phone was ringing off the hook at four that morning? She fell asleep on the couch, Cleo. I thought there could've been an emergency with her dad, that's why I checked it. I didn't even pick her phone _up_. I just saw the one message that on her screen. I couldn't have gone through her phone even I _wanted to_ - which I don't, I should clarify. She has a passcode on it."

Cleo felt the blood rush to her cheeks, embarrassed. "Oh. Who was it?"

"Will," Lewis began. "He was asking Rikki about something they were planning."

"Oh!" Cleo exclaimed, feeling a rush of excitement. "Was it about Emma's party?"

"_What?" _

"Didn't Rikki tell you? Emma's coming home!"

A grin stretched out across Lewis's face and something in Cleo's heart clenched. He had the best smile. It could light up a room instantaneously and put the sun itself to shame.

Lewis was up on his feet now. "Really? When?!"

"Next week! We're planning a surprise party for her!"

Before Lewis could respond his phone, which he left laying on the couch, lit up. Cleo's smile dropped off her face and she narrowed her eyes at him. She snatched his phone before he could grab it.

"Not texting anybody, huh?" She accused before looking down the screen. Cleo was silent. It read; _Rikki [ Text Message ]_. It just _figures_ Lewis would have his message display set on private. Cleo tried to open his lockscreen but she didn't know his code. She positively _smoldered. _

"You've been texting Rikki this whole time?"

Lewis looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He opened his mouth to say something but promptly closed it, unable to think of a lie on the spot.

"I'm just worried about her." He admitted.

"Why? Did something happen?"

"She just seemed really upset last night. And this morning, come to think of it. I wanted to make sure she was okay."

Cleo raked her brain for a moment. It did make sense for the most part. Lewis was definitely the worry, but Cleo sensed something more. He'd been distracted all day, and texted for the better part of a two and half hour movie.

"It doesn't take a hundred different texts to ask if someone is okay."

"You're jealous." Lewis said. "I can't believe you're actually jealous."

"I am not _jealous!" _Cleo said defensively.

"You are too. You're upset because Rikki's living with me." He chuckled and Cleo's face flushed even brighter. "That's adorable, Cleo. Really, it is, but there's no need to be jealous."

"I'm not jealous! I'm - _ugh!_"

Cleo turned her back to Lewis and made a frustrated noise. Behind her, she could hear Lewis laughing. Anger flooded through her and she spun back around, on the brink of tears.

"I'm glad you think our relationship is such a _joke!_"

"Jesus Christ, Cleo. _Calm down._"

"I am not going to calm down!"

"What are you overreacting about? Is this still really about Rikki? Are you seriously that _concerned?_ You really don't trust me?"

Cleo was quiet, unsure of what to say.

"You know what," Lewis began. "I think I better go."

That took Cleo by surprise.

"Lewis, no." She sighed. "Don't -"

"No." He said, cutting her off. "Your silence said everything. You don't trust me."

He left without another word.

{.}

Rikki's hand shook where they rested on table.

The full moon was just a few short hours away and tonight was the night. Will was going to give up his humanity once and for all in exchange for a tail. _Like them. _

She swallowed thickly around the knot in her throat. She didn't even _know_ where Will was at the moment. Probably with Bella, but it was still the point. Rikki didn't quite know what to do with herself. She didn't want to go home because she was still pissed at Lewis and she didn't feel like going for a swim. It was unusual, her not wanting to swim - but today all swimming would do is remind Rikki of what was to come later that night. Not only that, but after the altercation with Vivian last night Rikki hasn't felt like doing or seeing much of anyone or anything.

In her mind, her mother's name sounded foreign and strange.

The fucking _nerve _of her to come back after, what, twelve years? just to ask _for money_.

Who does that?! Rikki fumed, picking absently at her nails. Vivian had never been much of a mother. In fact, one day she just up and left out of the blue, leaving Rikki and Terry to fend for themselves. Vivian hadn't tried to contact them since that sunny day in December. Hell, she didn't even try and contact Rikki to ask for the money; Rikki had bumped into her in town. Unsurprisingly, Vivian had been overly affectionate, obviously trying to butter her up. But Rikki was smarter than that. She'd been manipulated one too many times to fall for old tricks. Still holding onto the anger she'd felt when she was young, Rikki resisted her mother's affections and their awkward conversation spiraled into a loud, angry one. It was when Vivien started talking badly about Terry did Rikki backhand her across the face. She couldn't have stopped herself even if she'd wanted to. There was so much anger built up, so much betrayal and bitterness and hurt - she'd exploded with it. Without another word, Rikki walked away first and didn't bother looking back.

That awful evening, mixed with her anxiousness about taking Will out to Mako during a full moon, had her nearly sick with nervousness.

"You okay, Rikki?" Came a painfully sugar-sweet and overly peppy voice.

Rikki glared up at the source. "What do you _want_, Sophie?"

"Nothing. You just look more upset than usual today. What is it, trouble in paradise?"

God, what Rikki would do to light Sophie _on fire. _

"I'm waiting on Will." Rikki gritted out. "We have plans."

Sophie gave her a very unsubtle faux-kind _I hate you _smile. "Just don't keep him out too late. He's got training to keep up with. He'll never become a world champion hanging around with you and that girlfriend of his. You might try and get through his head."

With that, Sophie walked off, her chin high and chest out. She was so obvious. Rikki really wanted to punch her in the face. Then light her on fire.

Checking the time for the thirteenth time in the last twenty minutes, Rikki decided to shoot Will a text. She sent [ _Hey, meet me at the cafe. We've got some stuff to talk about before tonight. _] Once she'd sent it she noticed four missed text messages from Lewis.

[ _I can't believe you're being this immature. _]  
[ _I'm not going to apologize for being worried about you. That's what I do. I worry. And I didn't go through your fucking phone. I read one text. One. It was four in the morning and I was concerned. _]  
[ _Just because Zane is possessive and emotionally constipated doesn't mean every man you get close to is. _]  
[ _Ignore the last part of that text. It sounded different in my head. You know what I mean. _]

Rikki debated on replying. They'd argued half the night last night, both through text and face to face, and to be honest it wasn't even the phone thing that had Rikki pissed off, because had Cleo or Bella's phones been going off in the middle of the night she'd check them too, it was the fact Lewis felt he had to _protect her_. That implied she couldn't take care of herself.

Well, Rikki could take care of herself just fine, thank you very much. Always had. Always will. Her phone dinged again, pulling her from her thoughts. It was from Will; [ _Give me twenty minutes. _]

She replied with a simple [ _Ok. _]

It was going to be a long day.

{.}

It was ten in the morning when Don returned home. Upon seeing him walk through the door, Samantha leapt off the couch and rushed to embrace him in a hug.

"I was so worried." She said. "I thought you were going to have to go out in this storm! It's almost on top of us. We need to start boarding up the windows, just to be safe. The weather channel said Anna is picking up intensity and could possibly turn into a hurricane."

Don sighed sadly and took his wife's face into his hands. He kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry Sam, there's a problem with one of my boats. _And _there was a massive tear in some of the netting. I've only got a week to make up the catch we lost. If I don't leave within the next two hours I'll never get back in time. I just came back to pack some clothes."

"No," She protested, eyes beginning to fill with fearful tears. "They can't do that! They've got to give you an extension on time or something -"

"I'm sorry," He said again. "But it's just how things are. Don't worry, Sam. I've sailed through much worse than this. I'll be back for you know it."

"Dad?" Came Cleo's voice. In her bathrobe, she was standing on the stairs with concern painted all over her face. "You're not going out, are you?"

"I don't have a choice, Cleo. There was a problem -"

"I don't care about the problem!" She said, coming down the stairs to join his and Samantha's conversation. "There is a tropical storm coming! Have you looked outside?! I'm scared and I'm not planning on leaving the _house_."

"Cleo, darling, I was just telling Sam I've sailed through much worse than this. I'll be fine."

"But Dad -"

"No buts. I've got to go pack."

Cleo was pretty sure the ground had been yanked out from beneath her feet. She grabbed onto Samantha's arms and gulped for air, panic hitting her chest like a ten pound brick. Grotesque images of her father's boat being swallowed whole by ten foot swells swarmed through her mind, images of her father drowning or being struck by lightning and his funeral -

"Cleo!" Sam said. "Calm down sweetheart, you're having a panic attack."

She trembled and gasped for air as Sam led her to the couch and sat down next to her. She had tears running down her cheeks now, hot and fat filled with grief and fear. Cleo couldn't lose another parent. She just _couldn't_. It'd been months since she'd Bev. They talked on the phone often, yes, but it wasn't the same as having her there. Their relationship wasn't as strong as her and Don's, anyway.

Bev always did say Cleo was born a daddy's girl.

"You can't let him go!" Cleo managed. "Sam, go talk to him! You can't let him go out in this! It's going to get _bad _out there!"

Sam ran a soothing hand along Cleo's back and nodded. "I'll do what I can."

Sam headed upstairs to try and talk Don out of leaving while Cleo sat numbly on the couch. Everything felt so surreal now. She was in a state of shock. Don was really being forced out into Tropical Storm Anna. There was a very real chance Anna would overturn his ship and his body would have to be fished out of the surf. Another wave of panic threatened to overtake her, but Cleo rationalized that her father always had trouble saying no to Sam, and Sam was up in their room right now talking him out of it. He'd stay. He'd have to.

With shaking hands Cleo called Lewis's phone.

He didn't answer.

{.}

Will doesn't think he's ever been this nervous. It was almost two o'clock in the afternoon and the full moon rose at eight. That meant in a little under six hours he'd (hopefully) give up his humanity and gain a merman tail. As nervous as he was, Will hoped more than anything the moon pool had enough magic left to transform him. If it didn't... Well, Will was pretty sure he'd shed a tear or two. He kept scalding himself for getting his hopes so high, for fantasizing about the all incredible underwater adventures him and Bella could go on together, but he couldn't help himself. Will inhaled deeply as he looked down at the shell in his hand. It was nothing special, just a small, half fractured little thing he'd picked up during his last dive, but it was so _colorful_; pastel pink and bright red with flecks of white and silver. He was trying to decide what to do with it, mulling over what sort of jewelry he could turn it into. Maybe he'd give it to Bella. God knows her personality was just as bright and colorful and unique as the little shell between his fingers.

There was a knock on his door, then a familiar voice. "Will? Are you decent?"

"Yeah," He called. "Come on in, sis!"

Sophie breezed in with her usual air of seriousness and self gratification. Inwardly, Will groaned.

"What's that you're fiddling with?" She inquired with a tilt of the head.

Will shrugged. "Just a shell I found. It's nothing special."

"Well!" She began, Will just _knew _she was getting ready to start rambling. "Put down your little shell and put on your swim shorts. Me and you? We're going diving."

"_Soph_." He groaned. "I was getting ready to go meet Rikki, we've got -"

"No buts! You've spent all week with _Bella_," Sophie spat her name, as though it left a sour taste on her tongue. "So today me and you are going diving. It won't kill you to get your butt in the water. You're never going to be able to go pro if you keep screwing around. Especially with girls like Rikki."

Will sighed and stood up, knowing it'd be useless to bother arguing. What Sophie wanted, Sophie got. Especially when it came to matters involving money. Or _men_.

"Give me ten minutes to change and I'll meet you outside." He said.

"Great!" Sophie chirped, giving Will a peck on the cheek. "Oh, and make it five minutes."

"Yeah yeah." He said, and as he began to unbutton his jeans the realization that this would be his last ever dive with Sophie hit him like a ten pound sack of bricks. Once he underwent his transformation Sophie could never see him in the water again. Diving... It was one of the only ways him and his sister could really bond, given all their differences. As obnoxious and cut-throat as Sophie could be, Will still loved her, and the thought of giving up their once daily dives made something in his heart clench.

He wasn't changing his mind, though. Sophie and him... they could work things out. They could find other ways to spend time together. He'd always have Sophie, but the moon pool? Who knew how much longer it'd have it's magic, _if _it still had it's magic.

Tonight was the night Will was going to get a tail of his own, and there wasn't a force in Heaven or on earth that would keep him from it.

{.}

"You look awful happy about something. You finally meet someone with an IQ bigger than her bra size?"

Zane looked away from his computer and raised an eyebrow at Rikki. She was standing in the doorway of his office, arms folded across her chest.

"Oh _ha ha_, that was so funny I forgot to laugh." He spun in his chair to face her. "So, the cafe is holding a dance marathon to benefit Vet-Marti-"

Rikki cut him off. "Zane, _you didn't_."

"It's an organization run by the University of Queensland," He continued with a coy smile. "That promotes marine conservation and veterinary research, things like that. Lewis might know a little about it, actually. You oughta ask him about it later, but anyway! I signed us up."

"_Zane_." She groaned. "No. Absolutely not. We _broke. up. _Remember?"

"Oh, come on Rikki! It's just a dance, not to mention it's for a great cause."

"Ugh huh, and since when do you care about anything other than money and publicity? And yourself, of course. Can't forget that, can we?" Rikki narrowed her eyes at him. "I know what you're doing, and it isn't going to work. I'm not getting back together with you. _Ever_."

"I'm not asking you to. Like I said, it's just a dance for a good cause."

Rikki sighed loudly, exasperated.

She knew Zane wouldn't stop asking until she said yes, and she was tempted to, but Rikki was terrified the old feelings for him she'd been pushing down would come bubbling back to the surface. She knew she would never get back together with Zane, especially since he threatened to expose her secret because they'd broken up, but the way she used to so strongly feel about him... It was still there. It still _hurt_, but that hurt was bareable now. The last couple of months had actually been good. Really good. Rikki felt like she was finally starting to get over Zane, but now? This stupid dance? She was afraid if she said yes and went it would be all that harder to get back over him. Especially when he looked at her like he was looking now, all big brown eyes and pouty lips.

"No, Zane." Rikki said. "I'm done with you. Sometimes things break and nothing can be done to fix that. Why don't you go with Sophie? I'm sure she has some respect left for you."

And with that, Rikki turned and left, completely forgetting the reason why she'd went into Zane's office in the first place. That reason had been keep Cleo and Bella occupied tonight while she took Will out to Mako Island. She hated, absolutely _loathed_, asking anyone - Zane, of all people! - for help, but Bella and Cleo had to believe Will's transformation was an accident. She hurried out of the cafe in fear Zane would trail after her and headed to Will's boatshoat. He should've met her ten minutes ago.

When Rikki gets to his boatshed, she finds it empty.

{.}

Kim usually worked through her breaks. Not only did she not have anything to do for twenty minutes, but Sophie had taught her that, if you want to make it to the top, you've got to seem eager to please when you're first starting out at a new job. That meant doing the dirty jobs no one else wanted to do, working through breaks, and acting like the sun shines out your boss's ass. Kim had taken every word to heart. She was determined to make it to the top. The day she'd accidentally turned the blender on high and covered Sophie in a spray of juice was her _last _mistake. Sophie could've easily fired her for that.

"You've got potential," Kim recalled Sophie saying. "That is the _only _reason I'm keeping you, understand? Screw up again and you're _gone_."

From that day onward Kim worked her fingers to the bone to impress Sophie - Sophie, who, due to her cut-throat attitude and high record of success, had quickly become Kim's hero.

Kim was determined to redeem herself. At any cost.

* * *

**a/n:** chapter written by _when the tide comes in_. leave your thoughts, please! x


	10. C h a p t e r: 9

**09.**

Cleo's silence was still echoing in Lewis' head. He couldn't believe his own girlfriend didn't trust him.

And that dancing thing?! How could Cleo sign them up without talking to him first?!

He was pacing in his apartment, unable to stay still on one place. With one quick movement he opened the door of the balcony walking out. He leaned on the handrail, burying his face in his hands. His phone started ringing on the table in his living room but he didn't even bother go seeing who it was. He only sighed quietly to himself.

Why does everything have to be always so complicated?!

He didn't hear Rikki when she opened the front door and walked in the apartment, so he slightly jumped hearing her coming behind him. She put her hands on the handrail shooting a glance to the ocean, before her eyes found him and she smirked.

"Why are you looking so frustrated? Did Cleo tell you about the dance marathon thing yet?"

"Yeah, she did."

"And the problem is you can't dance, right?" Rikki smirked again letting out a small laugh.

"That too." He nodded slightly.

"What else?"

"She doesn't trust me."

Rikki looked at him as if he was insane.

"What the bloody hell made you think that?"

"Cleo."

The curly blond was now confused. "_Cleo_?! I'm sorry, but I don't get it."

"We had a bit of an argument and -"

"A bit?"

"Ok, a lot. When I asked whether she trusted me or not she remained silent." He said.

"So?"

Lewis looked at Rikki annoyed. "_So_, she obviously doesn't trust me."

"Hang on, what was your argument about in the first place?"

He looked away from her and when the slightest bit of red color rushed up to his cheeks she understood.

"It was about me wasn't it?!"

He nodded still not looking at her. She let out an exhausted sigh.

"I'm still looking for a proper job and as soon as I find one I'm out of here. That way Cleo will finally relax again."

"No, look, you can stay as much time as you need. And Cleo must learn to trust us more. _Both_ of us."

Rikki didn't respond only let her eyes travel on the shining waters of the ocean.

"So what are you going to do with the dancing thing?" She asked without turning to look at him just to change the subject.

He buried his face in his hands. "I'm going to make a fool of myself." He groaned.

"You're _not_ going to make a fool of yourself."

He pulled his hands out of his face to look at her and was shocked to see she was smirking again.

"Of course I am. I _can't_ dance!"

She shook her head causing her curls to fly slightly around her head.

"No, you're not. Not if I teach you to dance."

He looked at her stunned. "_You_? You'll teach me to dance?!

"Why not?!"

"I didn't even know you could dance."

"There are many things about me you don't know." She answered with a devious smirk. "Meet me tomorrow at _Rikki's_ after it's closed down. I'm still keeping the spare key for it and we're going to need more room for dancing."

He nodded and one question started bugging him.

"Why are you doing this?! I mean helping me by teaching me to dance."

Rikki thought about the answer for a minute.

"You're my friend." She said finally. "And I don't want you to upset _Cleo_ when you embarrass _both_ of you."

"Fair enough." He admitted.

She turned to look at the ocean again when he looked at her and something came up to his mind.

"I'm sorry for reading your text the other night by the way. And I'm sorry for asking questions about Will's message. I'm just really concerned. Like you said we're _friends_ and I don't want anything bad to happen to you. Or to Will. I hope you understand."

"Yeah, I do and it's ok. Just don't do it again, alright?!" She sighed. "And I'm sorry that I got mad when you were just being concerned about me." She ran her hand through her hair. "It's just...I'm not used to people being concerned about me at all. You're one of the very few." Suddenly the memory of her bumping into Vivian and the nerve of her asking Rikki for money, floated right before her eyes and made her clench her hand into fist.

Lewis noticed that.

"Are you ok?!" And he pointed at her fist.

"Huh?! Oh, yes, I'm fine." She rested her fingers again, taking a deep breath.

"Look I know it's not my business, but why were your eyes so red and puffy yesterday? You looked like you'd been crying the whole night."

"You're right. It's none of your business!" She suddenly shot at him and walked out of the balcony and of the small apartment.

Lewis sighed. Just as he thought living with her wasn't going to be as easy and smoothly as he'd hoped. But he was going to fix that.

Even if that meant a change.

{ . }

To say Emma was excited for going back to the Gold Coast after a whole year away was an understatement.

The last few days she could barely stand at one place, jumping excitedly from one room to another.

Finally she wouldn't have to worry if they were going at a wet place, she wouldn't have to worry if they were going to travel by boat or not, she wouldn't have to pretend of being sick every time they were staying in a town with a big beach her parents wanted to go swimming to. Finally Emma could relax and not worry for anything.

She had missed Cleo and Rikki, and Lewis even, so much that words couldn't describe.

Having to experience the last couple of full moons alone she could only try and imagine how Cleo and Rikki were doing; that they were probably staying together, how they were arguing for what movies to watch, how Lewis was reassuring them both he would keep them safe and she could clearly hear Rikki's sarcastic remarks in response to him.

Emma smiled. On the next full moon they were going to be reunited again. All that stuff they were going to do and go through _together_.

The knocking on her room got her out of her thoughts. "Come in." She said.

The door opened and Eliot's head popped in.

"Hey, sis." He greeted her.

"Hey, Eliot. What's going on?"

"You have a visitor."

"A visitor?"

Eliot held the door open letting in a tall, handsome brunette and the closed it again.

"Ash!" Emma exclaimed and threw herself in his arms. "What are you doing here?"

"Do I need an excuse to visit my beautiful Emma?!"

She grinned. "I'm so happy to see you!"

They sat on her bed and she smiled.

"I can't believe you're here! I thought the next time we'll see each other will be at the Gold Coast."

He smirked. "I couldn't wait that long to see you again."

And he leaned to kiss her. When they released he wrapped his hands around her and she rested her head on his shoulders.

"Have you told the girls yet?" He asked her with a smirk knowing she tells her best friends everything.

"No, not yet. I wanted to wait until I come back and reunite with them."

Ash only smiled and kissed the top of her head. She raised her face to look at him. "I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too!"

They curled up on her bed and were happy to just lay in each other's arms.

"So, what's been going on at the Gold Coast after we left?" Ash asked curiously. Most of all he wanted to find out what happened with the "JuiceNet" cafe.

"A lot." Emma answered. "Zane had bought the cafe naming it "Rikki's", and he'd been running it with Rikki until she broke up with him. There was a water tentacle going after the girls, but with the help of a new mermaid and best friend Bella and her boyfriend Will, they'd defeated it saving the whole world out of destruction."

"Wow." Ash said. "That is an awful lot."

"Yeah. Thankfully everything is back to normal and I can't wait to see the girls already and to meet Bella face to face! We talked on Skype and she seems really nice!"

Ash smiled to her. "Rikki broke up with Zane you say. About time if you ask me, considering their fiery personalities." And he let out a small laugh followed by Emma.

"Ash, be _nice_!" She told him with a smirk.

"I'm always _nice_." He joked and leaned to kiss her again.

{ . }

Zane was staring at the computer screen but instead of reading and filling in what he was supposed to, he was too busy thinking of Rikki.

The way she cut him off so easily for the dance and simply walked away hurt him. He thought, actually he _hoped_ she would agree.

But no, she just thumbed him down and left. He didn't tried to stop her, he didn't even run after her, because he knew that's what she wanted. It took him everything just watching her walk away and not chasing after her.

He suddenly heard someone walking into the office and looked up.

"What do you want, Sophie?!" He asked annoyed.

"Just to tell you someone wants to talk to you." She said aggravated from his behaviour towards her.

"Who?"

"Some strange woman. What do you want me to tell her?"

He hesitated for a moment.

"Just tell her to come in."

Sophie nodded and went outside. A few minutes later a blond, middle-aged woman walked inside the office.

Zane looked at her; her figure was slim, but it was hidden under tons of clothes, old and shabby with lots of patches; she had short, curly blond hair and her eyes were as blue as the ocean. Her hair was loose, but was dirty and uncombed and was a complete mess.

He however seemed to be more intrigued by her eyes; he knew only one other person with eyes as blue as were the eyes of that strange woman.

"Are you Zane Bennett?" The woman asked him.

"The one and only."

"Nice to meet you." She stretched her hand to him. "My name's Vivian. Vivian Chadwick."

After the word "Chadwick" Zane started her shock written all over his face.

"You're...you're Rikki's mother?" He asked taking her hand in his to shake it.

The woman nodded.

"Yes." And her look ran around the room focusing on the pictures of him and Rikki hanging on the wall. "You are my daughter's boyfriend, right?"

Zane felt like she had backhanded him and a grimace of hurt ran through his face. "_Ex_boyfriend." He then corrected her.

"Oh." Vivian said. "When exactly did she dumped you?"

Shock ran through Zane's body and was immediately reflected on his face. "How…?"

"I know my daughter."

Those words helped Zane finally come to his senses at once. "No, you don't." He told her his voice calm, but at the same time a bit too firm. "You don't know Rikki at all, because you left her twelve years ago."

"I don't know what exactly did she tell you, but if you must know I didn't have another choice!"

"That's not true. You _always_ have a choice. A choice between what is _right_ and what is _easy_. You chose to do what is _easy_: to leave your husband and child and run away. You didn't care about what was right!"

She only started at him and in when he saw the look of anger and anxiousness in her eyes it almost immediately reminded him of Rikki.

"All of that doesn't really matter anymore. I'm back now and I intend to stay a long, long time."

Zane didn't like the smirk on her face. A thought suddenly occurred to him.

"Does Rikki know you're back?"

"Of course." And the woman let out a small laugh of bitterness. "Who do you think made me this?" She pointed up to the red spot on her cheek.

He only glared at her not saying anything. He then remembered Vivian had come to the cafe to look for him.

"You came here looking for me, so you obviously want something. What is it?" He asked her taking his place behind his desk.

Vivian came closer. "I do want something. But I think it's better for us to talk somewhere...more private."

Zane analyzed her face.

"Fine." He sighed. "We can talk at my place after I finish here."

She nodded and walked over to the door. "I'll wait for you outside."

And before she walked out she gave him a smirk.

When she disappeared behind the door Zane looked after her.

Rikki's mother or not that woman was only trouble. That much Zane was sure of.

{ . }

Cleo was in her room, laying on her bed and holding a pillow. She was trying to get some sleep and forget about everything, but it wasn't really working.

Her phone was on her desk, long-forgotten so when it started ringing Cleo jumped and ran to pick up not even bother to look at the caller ID.

"Hello?!" She picked up a bit too enthusiastically thinking it was Lewis.

"Hi, Cleo, it's me."

"Oh, Bella." Cleo tried to hide the disappointment in her voice, but the other girl sensed it.

"Is everything OK?!"

"Yeah, I just thought it might be someone else."

"Lewis?!" Bella asked and Cleo could just see er smirk on the other end of the line.

"Actually yes. We had an arguement and he left. I tried calling him, but he wasn't picking up. I just thought...never mind. You wanted to tell me something, what is it?"

"I just thought I should remind you it's a full moon tonight."

Hearing Bella's words Cleo's eyes widened and she let out a quiet scream. "Oh my god, how could I forget?!"

"I doubt anything to happen though." Bella spoke confidently in the phone. "The moon doesn't affect us and the tentacle is gone, so everything will be fine."

"Did you check up on Rikki?" Cleo asked.

"No, I was going to call her after I hung up with you."

"I'll check on her then and you check on Will."

"Ok. And stay safe!"

"You too! Bye!"

"Bye!"

Cleo hurried to hung up and dialed Rikki's number. It rang a couple of times before someone picked up. Not waiting for the other person to speak, Cleo started talking first.

"Rikki, Bella just called to remind me of the full moon tonight. Where are you, are you safe?!"

"Cleo, where are you, are you safe at home?!"

Expecting to her her best friend's familiar voice, Cleo almost fell down hearing instead the painfully familiar worried voice of non other that her boyfriend.

"_Lewis_?!"

{ . }

Will was sitting in the boatshed, mentually cursing himself for forgetting he had to meet Rikki when he went diving with his sister.

His phone lit up and started ringing on it's place at the table before him. He felt the slightest bit of guilt again when he saw it was Bella.

"Hi." He told her picking up.

"Hi, Will!" Bella's voice greeted him. "Look, I'm sorry for running away like the other day - "

"No, I am sorry for snapping at you. I should've never done that."

Awkward silence came for a moment before Bella broke it.

"It's a full moon tonight." She said. "I thought I should warn you just in case."

A gut feeling of guilt filled his body.

"Thanks." He said. "What about you? Are you safe?"

"Yes, I'm home in my bed."

"Good. And that's exactly where you should stay."

He heard her sigh. "I know, Will, I know."

"Well, if that's all I think you should try and get some sleep."

"As if I can do it, but I guess it won't hurt to try."

"Good girl." Will said and heard her chuckle.

"I love you, Will."

The feeling of guilt was reaching it's breaking point.

"I love you too, Bella."

He hung up dropping his phone back on the table and he buried his face in his hands.

"Are you ready?" He heard a familiar voice and looked up.

Rikki was standing on his door with a mix of anxiousness and at the same time worry written on her face.

"Yes I am." He responded standing up and walking to her.

They walked out together and she turned to him. "See you at the moon pool."

He nodded and she dived in. He jumped in his boat, powering the engine.

While he was riding the boat to mako, the wind was twisting his hair and he felt the storm coming up.

He reached the shore and jumped out of the boat pulling it on the sand.

He then turned around, walking straight at the direction if the moon pool shooting a glimpse at the shining moon beginning to rise up.

Now or never.

* * *

**a/n:** _Here is the new chapter written by _mermaidbyheart_! :-) Enjoy and don't forget reviews is what keeps us inspired! :)))_


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